France and Morocco will renew their rivalry in the quarterfinals of the FIFA World Cup 2026 on July 9 in a rematch of their memorable semifinal four years ago, with the winner of the contest will face either Belgium or Spain in the last four.
At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Morocco made history by becoming the first African nation to reach the semifinals of the tournament. Their fairytale run, however, was brought to an end by France, with goals from Theo Hernandez and Randal Kolo Muani sealing a 2-0 victory for Les Bleus en route to the final.
The Atlas Lions now have the chance to settle old scores as they bid to reach the World Cup semifinals for a second successive edition.
France’s Road To Quarter-Finals
France have been among the standout teams at the tournament. The two-time world champions enjoyed a perfect group-stage campaign, registering victories over Senegal, Iraq and Norway to comfortably seal a place in the knockout rounds.
They continued their impressive run with a commanding 3-0 victory over Sweden in the Round of 32 before edging Paraguay 1-0 in a tightly contested Round of 16 clash.
The win secured France a place in the World Cup quarterfinals for the fourth consecutive edition, extending a streak that began after their group-stage exit at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
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Morocco’s Road To Quarter-Finals
The Atlas Lions opened their group stage by holding five-time champions Brazil to a draw before recording convincing wins over Scotland and Haiti to progress to the knockout rounds.
Their Round of 32 encounter against the Netherlands produced one of the tournament’s most dramatic matches, as Morocco fought back from behind before prevailing in a penalty shootout. They then eased past co-hosts Canada with a dominant 3-0 victory in the Round of 16, securing back-to-back World Cup quarterfinal appearances.
Match Venue, Match Time
The highly anticipated clash between Morocco and France will be played at the Boston Stadium. It is set to kick-off at 1:30 a.m. Indian Standard Time on Friday.
Match Referee
FIFA has appointed an all-Argentine team to officiate the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarterfinal between France and Morocco, a decision that has sparked a row.
Argentine referee Yael Falcón Pérez will take charge of the match, with fellow Argentines Maximiliano Del Yesso and Facundo Rodríguez serving as assistant referees. The video-assistant-referee team will also include Argentine officials, making it an entirely Argentine officiating crew for the fixture.
Head-to-Head
- Matches Played: 6
- France wins: 4
- Morocco wins: 1
- Draws: 1
Form Guide (last five games, most recent first):
- France: W-W-W-W-W
- Morocco: W-W-W-W-D
France
- Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Mike Maignan; Jules Koundé, Dayot Upamecano, William Saliba, Lucas Digne; Manu Koné, Adrien Rabiot; Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise, Désiré Doué; Kylian Mbappé (c).
- Substitutes: Robin Risser, Brice Samba, Malo Gusto, Lucas Hernandez, Theo Hernandez, Ibrahima Konate, Maxence Lacroix, N’Golo Kante, Warren Zaire-Emery, Maghnes Akliouche, Bradley Barcola, Rayan Cherki, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Marcus Thuram.
- Coach: Didier Deschamps
Morocco
- Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Yassine Bounou; Achraf Hakimi (c), Issa Diop, Anass Salah-Eddine, Noussair Mazraoui; Ayyoub Bouaddi, Neil El Aynaoui; Brahim Díaz, Azzedine Ounahi, Bilal El Khannouss; Chemsdine Talbi.
- Substitutes: Munir El Kajoui, Reda Tagnaouti, Youssef Belammari, Chadi Riad, Marwane Saadane, Zakaria El Ouahdi, Redouane Halhal, Samir El Mourabet, Sofyan Amrabat, Soufiane Rahimi, Ayoub El Kaabi, Amine Sbai, Gessime Yassine, Ayoube Amaimouni.
- Coach: Mohamed Ouahbi
Players to Watch
- Kylian Mbappe (France): While this French squad is stuffed with match-winners, Kylian Mbappe remains France’s heart and soul. The French captain has hit seven goals and provided two assists.
- Achraf Hakimi (Morocco): The 27-year-old has scored one goal and provided two assists at this tournament. His experience of playing some of the biggest clubs will come handy in this do-or-die game.
How To Watch Live Telecast?
The France vs Morocco FIFA World Cup 2026 match will be televised live in India on Unite8 Sports 1, Unite8 Sports 1 HD, Unite8 Sports 2 and Unite8 Sports 2 HD television channels.
How To Watch Live Streaming?
The France vs Morocco FIFA World Cup 2026 game will be streamed live on the ZEE5 app and website in English, Malayalam, Bangla and Hindi.