Les Bleus emerged victorious when the two nations met in Qatar 2022 semi-finals, with the Atlas Lions out for revenge as they target a second straight appearance in the World Cup last four.
Quarter-final
Friday, 10 July | Boston Stadium
Kick-off time
04:00 (GMT+8)
The match
France’s quest to become only the second European nation to contest three consecutive FIFA World Cup™ finals continues against the side they beat in the semi-finals at Qatar 2022. Morocco fell just short last time out but still created history by becoming the first African team to progress to that stage, a feat they will be keen to replicate at the FIFA World Cup 2026™.
France have played some characteristically scintillating stuff on their eighth successive appearance at the World Cup, with Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise terrorising opposing defences as they swaggered through Group I with maximum points by beating Senegal 3-1, Iraq 3-0 and Norway 4-1. They followed that with a similarly dominant 3-0 victory over Sweden in the Round of 32 – Bradley Barcola showing that Les Bleus’ attacking threat runs far deeper than just their headline trio – and then displayed impressive grit and determination to down a dogged Paraguay 1-0 in the Round of 16 thanks to an Mbappe penalty.
Morocco’s path to this stage has been a little bumpier, but Mohamed Ouahbi’s side have shown quality and fighting spirit in abundance on their third consecutive World Cup appearance. After starting with an impressive 1-1 draw against Brazil, Morocco made sure of second place in Group C by downing Scotland 1-0 and then edging a topsy-turvy affair against Haiti 4-2. Next up, Issa Diop headed a dramatic late equaliser to send their Round of 32 clash against the Netherlands to extra time, with the Atlas Lions then emerging victorious on penalties, before an Azzedine Ounahi brace and late Soufiane Rahimi goal sealed a slick 3-0 win over co-hosts Canada in the Round of 16.
Whichever side emerges victorious here will progress to the semi-final on 14 July in Dallas, where they will take on Portugal, Spain, USA or Belgium.
France possible starting XI
Maignan; Kounde, Upamecano, Saliba, Digne; Kone, Rabiot; Olise, Dembele, Barcola; Mbappe
Morocco possible starting XI
Bounou; Hakimi, Diop, Halhal, Mazraoui; Bouaddi, El Aynaoui; Diaz, Ounahi, El Khannouss; Rahimi
What they said…
“I haven’t seen another match like that (with Paraguay). Playing a game like that at this stage of the competition is rewarding. It provides answers about what the players are capable of in the face of such adversity. It was a day when things could have gone off the rails, and nobody lost control. That’s a real sign of maturity.” Guy Stephan, France assistant coach
Boston Stadium
This is the last of seven World Cup 2026 games to be played at Boston Stadium, with both quarter-finalists having already picked up victories here. France claimed theirs with a dominant 4-1 defeat of Norway in their final Group I fixture – thanks to a Dembele hat-trick and strike from Desire Doue – while Ismael Saibari’s second-minute effort was enough for Morocco to claim a hard-fought 1-0 triumph in their second Group C encounter against Scotland. The venue is home to MLS side New England Revolution and NFL outfit New England Patriots, and its stunning 22,000-square-foot video board and 22-story lighthouse were part of huge renovations to prepare it for the World Cup.