Three wins to go. How can your group attain the ultimate and win the World Cup 2026? Click on here to seek out out.
Who: France vs Morocco
What: FIFA World Cup 2026 – Quarterfinals
The place: Boston Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts, the US
When: Thursday, July 9, at 4pm (20:00 GMT)
Learn how to comply with: We may have all of the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 17:00 GMT earlier than our stay textual content commentary stream.
Advisable Tales
checklist of 4 gadgetsfinish of checklist
The 2026 World Cup rolls into the quarterfinal stage, kicking off with a blockbuster battle between title favourites France and African champions Morocco.
France, two-time world champions and the 2022 version’s runners-up, have been probably the most well-balanced group within the soccer event in North America, scoring a whopping 14 objectives whereas leaking solely two en path to an ideal 5 wins out of 5.
Spearheaded by Golden Boot leader Kylian Mbappe, and boasting a tantalising trio of Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise and Bradley Barcola, France have arguably probably the most deadly and enviable attacking unit within the event.
However the subsequent problem of their bid for a 3rd world title is much from simple.
The French are up towards Ismael Saibari and Brahim Diaz’s Morocco, who shocked the Netherlands within the knockouts and might be desirous to take down one other European big.
The Atlas Lions, now not challengers however contenders, want to attain back-to-back semifinals for the primary time in historical past.
Al Jazeera tells you all the things about France vs Morocco:
How did France and Morocco attain the quarterfinals?
France topped Group I with an ideal document of 9 factors, profitable towards Norway, Senegal and Iraq. They thrashed Sweden 3-0 within the spherical of 32 earlier than beating a stubborn Paraguay side 1-0 within the last-16.
Morocco got here second in Group C with seven factors, securing victories over Scotland and Haiti, and a draw with Brazil. They started their knockout marketing campaign with a thrilling 3-2 penalty shootout win over the Netherlands within the last-32 earlier than smashing Canada 3-0 within the spherical of 16.
Morocco: Not merely challengers, however severe title contenders
4 years in the past in Qatar – when Morocco shocked Spain and Portugal to grow to be the primary African and Arab nation to achieve the World Cup semifinals – they earned the fame of challengers.
However since then, the Atlas Lions have roared their technique to the highest, not simply on the continental degree however on the world stage.
As winners of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and buoyed by a 34-match unbeaten streak, FIFA world quantity six-ranked Morocco head into Thursday’s conflict not simply to tug off an upset, however to continue their promising bid for a maiden world title.
“We’re now not a shock at this time, and that’s an important supply of satisfaction,” mentioned Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi, who took over 4 months in the past.
“I believe that is solely the start, and I hope we’ll hold producing this sort of run for a few years.”
World-class winger Brahim Diaz has been one in all Morocco’s heroes on the World Cup, due to his 4 assists, whereas striker Ismael Saibari leads the goal-scoring charts with three. Soufiane Rahimi and Azzedine Ounahi have additionally contributed, with two objectives apiece.
Saibari, who scored in every of the three group video games and struck the profitable penalty towards the Dutch, has been ruled out of the quarterfinal, dealing an enormous blow to Morocco.
The 25-year-old, one of many standout gamers of the event, got here off early within the first half within the final recreation with a hamstring damage and has not recovered in time to face France.
France discovering other ways to win
Mbappe’s seven objectives in 5 video games have strengthened France’s bid for the 2026 title, whereas additionally maintaining him in pole place to grow to be the primary participant to win the Golden Boot greater than as soon as.
However for all their swashbuckling swagger, Les Blues needed to scrap their way past a rugged Paraguay side with little or no safety from the match officers.
The sport was removed from fairly, however France obtained the job completed, demonstrating that Didier Deschamps’s facet possesses each the steely dedication and extraordinary expertise to grow to be world champions.
“I believe that enjoying a match like that at this stage of the event was fruitful for us, as a result of it provides solutions about what the gamers are able to within the face of that type of adversity,” France’s assistant coach Man Stephan advised reporters on Monday.
“It was a day when it will have been simple to lose management, and no one misplaced management. So that’s nonetheless proof of maturity, even when they’re younger gamers.”
Stephan is aware of Morocco will pose a far completely different problem from Paraguay, describing the North Africans as a “well-organised, well-structured group” who’re equally spectacular in transition.
“Additionally they have particular person strengths, whether or not on the appropriate facet or the left facet … It’s undeniably a top quality group,” he mentioned.
France vs Morocco prediction
The Opta supercomputer provides France a 61.7 p.c chance of profitable in regulation time, whereas Morocco’s probabilities of profitable are 16.2 p.c.
The mannequin estimates a 22.1 p.c likelihood of the sport going to further time.
France vs Morocco: Learn how to watch, match schedule
- France: beIN SPORTS 1 (10pm, Central European Summer season Time)
- Morocco: beIN SPORTS (9pm, Western European Summer season Time)
- United States: Peacock, Fox, Fox One, Telemundo App, Telemundo Community (4pm, Japanese Daylight Time)
- United Kingdom: BBC One, BBC iPlayer (9pm, British Summer season Time)
To examine the TV listings to your nation, head to FIFA’s TV itemizing schedule here.
Who will the winner face within the semifinals?
The winner of the France vs Morocco match will play Spain or Belgium within the semifinals in Dallas, Texas within the US on July 14.
France vs Morocco: Head-to-head
The final time Morocco met France was when the Atlas Lions made their maiden World Cup semifinal look. It dates again to December 2022, and Morocco suffered a 2-0 defeat.
General, they’ve met six occasions, with France profitable 4 matches whereas two led to a draw.
France vs Morocco: Workforce information
Morocco ahead Saibari is out with a hamstring injury and might be changed with Rahimi within the lineup.
France midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni is uncertain on account of an adductor damage he sustained earlier than the spherical of 16.
Three France gamers – Olise, Barcola and Manu Kone – had been booked within the final recreation and danger receiving a ban ought to they decide up one other yellow card towards Morocco.
France’s predicted lineup
(4-2-3-1): Maignan (goalkeeper); Kounde, Upamecano, Saliba, Digne; Kone, Rabiot; Dembele, Olise, Barcola; Mbappe
Morocco’s predicted lineup
(4-2-3-1): Bounou (goalkeeper); Hakimi, Diop, Riad, Mazraoui; El Aynaoui, Bouaddi; Diaz, Ounahi, El Khannouss; Rahimi
