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Who: France vs Morocco
Content: 2026 FIFA World Cup – Quarterfinals
Location: Boston Stadium, Foxboro, Massachusetts, USA
Date and time: Thursday, July 9th, 4pm (20:00 GMT)
How to follow: Get everything ready on Al Jazeera Sports from 17:00 GMT before the live text commentary stream.
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The 2026 World Cup will begin in the quarter-finals with a close battle between favorites France and African champion Morocco.
France, two-time world champions and runners-up in the 2022 tournament, were the most balanced team in the North American Soccer Tournament, scoring a whopping 14 goals while conceding only two on the way to a perfect five-out-of-five win.
Spearheaded by Golden Boot leader Kylian Mbappé and featuring the intriguing trio of Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Oliseh and Bradley Barcola, France have arguably the most lethal and enviable attacking line-up in the competition.
However, their next task will not be easy as they aim to win their third world title.
France will be playing against Morocco, led by Ismael Saibari and Brahim Dias, who dominated the Netherlands in the knockout stage, and will be keen to defeat another European powerhouse.
No longer challengers but contenders, the Atlas Lions are aiming to reach back-to-back semifinals for the first time in history.
Al Jazeera tells you everything about France vs. Morocco:
How did France and Morocco reach the quarterfinals?
France topped Group I with a perfect record of nine points after defeating Norway, Senegal and Iraq. They defeated Sweden 3-0 in the round of 32 and defeated stubborn Paraguay 1-0 in the last 16.
Morocco finished second in Group C with seven points, winning against Scotland and Haiti and drawing with Brazil. They started the finals with a thrilling 3-2 penalty shootout win over the Netherlands in the last 32, and defeated Canada 3-0 in the round of 16.
Morocco: not just a challenger, but a serious title contender
When Morocco dominated Spain and Portugal four years ago in Qatar to become the first African and Arab country to reach the World Cup semi-finals, they earned a reputation as challengers.
But since then, the Atlas Lions have risen to the top, not only at the continental level, but also on the world stage.
Morocco, the 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) winners and sixth in the FIFA world rankings with a 34-game unbeaten record, go into Thursday’s encounter looking to not only pull off the upset, but also continue their promising bid for a first world title.
“Today we are no longer a surprise. It’s a matter of great pride,” said Morocco coach Mohamed Ouabi, who took over four months ago.
“I think this is just the beginning. I hope to continue this type of performance for many years to come.”
World-class winger Brahim Diaz was one of Morocco’s heroes at the World Cup thanks to his four assists, while striker Ismael Saibari leads the scoring list with three goals. Sufian Rahimi and Azzedine Ounahi also contributed with two goals each.
Saibari, who scored in each of the three group matches and converted the winning penalty against the Netherlands, was eliminated in the quarter-finals, dealing a huge blow to Morocco.
The 25-year-old, one of the tournament’s standout players, was forced off early in the first half with a hamstring injury in the final match and did not recover in time for the match against France.
France is finding different ways to win
Mbappé’s seven goals in five games strengthened France’s desire to win the 2026 title, while also making him the first player to maintain pole position and win the Golden Boot award multiple times.
However, despite their bold intimidation, Les Bleus had to get through a tough Paraguayan side with little protection from the match officials.
It wasn’t a pretty match, but France got the job done, proving Didier Deschamps’ team had both the steely determination and sheer talent to become world champions.
“I think it was beneficial for us to play a match like this at this stage of the tournament, because it gives us an answer to what the players are capable of in the face of such adversity,” France’s assistant coach Guy Stephan told reporters on Monday.
“It was a day where it was easy to lose control, but no one lost control. So even though you’re a young player, it’s still a sign of maturity.”
Stephane knows Morocco will pose a very different challenge to Paraguay, describing the North Africans as a “well-organised, well-structured team” who are equally impressive in transition.
“They also have individual strengths, on the right and on the left… it’s definitely a high-quality team,” he said.
France vs Morocco predictions
The Opta supercomputer gives France a 61.7 percent chance of winning within the stipulated time, while Morocco has a 16.2 percent chance of winning.
The model estimates a 22.1% chance of a game going into overtime.
France vs Morocco: How to watch, match schedule
France: beIN SPORTS 1 (10pm CET) Morocco: beIN SPORTS (9pm BST) US: Peacock, Fox, Fox One, Telemundo App, Telemundo Network (4pm EDT) UK: BBC One, BBC iPlayer (9pm BST)
To see the TV listings for your country, visit the FIFA TV listings schedule here.
Who will the winner face in the semifinals?
The winner of France vs. Morocco will face either Spain or Belgium in the semi-finals on July 14 in Dallas, Texas, USA.
France vs Morocco: Head-to-head
The last time Morocco faced France was in Atlas Lions’ first appearance in the World Cup semi-finals. It was back in December 2022, when Morocco suffered a 2-0 defeat.
Overall, the two sides have faced each other six times, with France winning four matches and two matches ending in a draw.
France vs Morocco: Team news
Moroccan international forward Saibari is out with a hamstring injury, and Rahimi could replace him in the lineup.
French midfielder Aurélien Choameny is doubtful about his participation after sustaining an adductor injury before the round of 16.
Three France players – Olise, Barcola and Manu Kone – received warnings in their last game and risk suspension if they receive another yellow card against Morocco.
France’s expected lineup
(4-2-3-1): Menyan (goalkeeper). Kunde, Upamecano, Saliba, Digne. Cohn, Rabiot. Dembélé, Oliseh, Barcola. mbappe
Morocco’s predicted lineup
(4-2-3-1): Bounow (Goalkeeper). Hakimi, Diop, Riyad, Mazraoui. El Ainaoui, Bouadi; Díaz, Ounahi, El Cannous. Rahimi
