France are now one win away from becoming the first back-to-back finalists since Brazil in 2002 and two from being the third team to retain the trophy after Brazil in 1962 and Italy in 1938.
Manager Didier Deschamps, who captained them to their first World Cup triumph in 1998 and coached them to their second title four years ago, described the victory as fabulous.
"It was a big game, we played a superb England team who are strong technically and physically," he said
"It's brilliant for the players to be in the last four again. We got a bit lucky although we gave away two penalties we kept our lead with our hearts and our guts."
France really did have to work hard for their win as the first major tournament knockout match between the old sporting rivals maintained the excitement and edge-of-the-seat drama that made it such an extraordinary quarter-final weekend.
PENALTY MISS
England was then given another lifeline via VAR when Theo Hernandez flattened Mason Mount but this time Kane sent his spot kick wildly over the bar in a painful reminder of Chris Waddle's effort when they lost the 1990 semi-final shootout to West Germany.
England pushed for an equalizer but when substitute Marcus Rashford's added-time free kick fizzed just over the bar it meant a seventh defeat in 10 World Cup quarter-finals and another 'four years of hurt' to tack on since their solitary triumph in 1966.
"We were here to try to win the tournament and we believed we could and I think that we showed with that performance tonight against the reigning champions that we've got a team that could have done that," said coach Gareth Southgate.
"It's fine margins and things at both ends that have ended up deciding the game but I think the way they've progressed as a group throughout this tournament has been fantastic."
France now faces the unlikeliest of semi-final opponents in Morocco, after they beat Portugal 1-0 earlier on Saturday and Deschamps was quick to recognize their worth.
"Morocco deserves praise," he said. "Maybe they were not expected to be here (in the semis), but they conceded only one goal, and seeing them here is not a surprise at all."
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