France and Morocco face again on the World Cup’s grandest stage and there is even more on the line this time.
The two sides meet in the quarter-finals at Boston Stadium in Foxborough, a repeat of their memorable 2022 semi-final in Qatar when Les Bleus edged out the Atlas Lions 2-0 before going on to lose the final to Argentina.
France vs Morocco, once again. The Atlas Lions are one step away from another historic semi-final. 🇲🇦#FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/ueopLH7aWf
— CAF (@CAF_Online) July 9, 2026
Deschamps’ men are the tournament’s most ruthless side, winning five out of five and scoring 14 goals while conceding just two.
Kylian Mbappe is leading the Golden Boot race with seven goals, and FOX Sports says he now holds a tournament record of 11 career knockout-stage goals at World Cups.
France’s first true concern came in the round of 16, as they needed a Mbappe penalty to grind past a muscular Paraguay side.
Morocco have been just as spectacular in their own right. Mohamed Ouahbi’s side are the first African nation to reach back to back World Cup quarter-finals after five matches without defeat.
Brahim Diaz has been stellar with four assists while Ismael Saibari, their best scorer with three goals, is a big doubt after suffering a hamstring injury against Canada.
If he is unavailable, veteran Soufiane Rahimi is anticipated to take the lead. There’s a disciplinary cloud hanging over both squads as they enter semifinal picture.
Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi, Issa Diop, Redouane Halhal and Bilal El Khannouss are all on the brink of suspension with one yellow card, as are Olise, Barcola and Manu Kone for France.
History is a little bit on the side of the French, with six matches and zero losses, but this Atlas Lions side plays with far more belief than the one that surprised the world four years ago.
It’s a fierce matchup everyone is looking forward to
