World Cup favorites Morocco's fairy tale ended after France beat them 2-0 in the semi-finals on Thursday.

Theo Hernandez volleyed Les Bleus ahead in the fifth minute and Randal Kolo Muani wrapped up matters in the 79th, less than a minute after coming on, with France star Kylian Mbappe involved in both goals.

Olivier Giroud was denied the post but so was Morocco's Jawad El Yamiq as the Atlas Lions fought bravely. But the first team from Africa to reach the final four finally ran out of luck and will complete the tournament Saturday in the match for third place against Croatia.

Full back Hernandez stretched high after five minutes to hook in the first goal Morocco conceded to an opposition player in the tournament after a scramble in the box, but the holders offered only occasional glimpses of their class.

Morocco, disrupted by early injuries to two key defenders, recovered to cause no end of problems, with Hugo Lloris brilliantly saving Jawad El Yamiq's overhead kick at the end of the first half and the outsiders pouring forward for much of the second.

However, they could not quite fashion a clear enough chance for the equalizer and were unable to extend the astonishing run that included victories over Belgium, Spain and Portugal and made them the first African team to make the semi-finals.

France is the sixth nation to reach successive World Cup finals but only Italy in 1938 and Brazil in 1962 have clinched back-to-back titles. France will aim to emulate this for a third title overall on Sunday but Argentina also want to lift the trophy a third time, and Messi finally crowns his own career with the title in a duel with his Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Mbappe.