France v Morocco: World Cup Quarter-final Preview

France's quest to become only the second European nation to contest three consecutive FIFA World Cup finals continues on Thursday, 9 July, when they face Morocco in the quarter-finals at Boston Stadium. The match is a rematch of the semi-final at Qatar 2022, where Les Bleus emerged victorious 2-0.

Match Details

The match kicks off at 16:00 local time (22:00 Paris, 21:00 Rabat). The winner will advance to the semi-final on 14 July in Dallas, where they will face one of Portugal, Spain, USA or Belgium.

France's Road to the Quarter-finals

France have played characteristically scintillating football on their eighth successive World Cup appearance. Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise have terrorised opposing defences as Les Bleus swaggered through Group I with maximum points, beating Senegal 3-1, Iraq 3-0 and Norway 4-1. They followed that with a dominant 3-0 victory over Sweden in the Round of 32, with Bradley Barcola showing that France's attacking threat runs far deeper than their headline trio. In the Round of 16, they displayed impressive grit to down a dogged Paraguay 1-0 thanks to an Mbappe penalty.

Morocco's Path to the Quarter-finals

Morocco's path has been bumpier, but Mohamed Ouahbi's side have shown quality and fighting spirit. After starting with an impressive 1-1 draw against Brazil, Morocco secured second place in Group C by beating Scotland 1-0 and edging a topsy-turvy affair against Haiti 4-2. In the Round of 32, Issa Diop headed a dramatic late equaliser to send their clash against the Netherlands to extra time, with the Atlas Lions winning on penalties. In the Round of 16, an Azzedine Ounahi brace and a late Soufiane Rahimi goal sealed a 3-0 win over co-hosts Canada.

Head-to-Head and Historical Context

These sides have met just once before at the World Cup, in the semi-finals at Qatar 2022. Theo Hernandez put France ahead in the fifth minute at Al Bayt Stadium, and Randal Kolo Muani made it 2-0 late on to send Didier Deschamps' side into their second consecutive final. Morocco fell short but created history as the first African team to reach the semi-finals, a feat they aim to replicate in 2026.

Venue: Boston Stadium

This is the last of seven World Cup 2026 games at Boston Stadium, with both quarter-finalists having already won here. France defeated Norway 4-1 in Group I, with a Dembele hat-trick and a strike from Desire Doue. Morocco beat Scotland 1-0 in Group C, thanks to an early goal from Ismael Saibari. The venue, home to MLS side New England Revolution and NFL team New England Patriots, underwent major renovations for the World Cup, including a 22,000-square-foot video board and a 22-story lighthouse.

Team News and Predicted Line-ups

France: Maignan; Kounde, Upamecano, Saliba, Digne; Kone, Rabiot; Olise, Dembele, Barcola; Mbappe

Morocco: Bounou; Hakimi, Diop, Halhal, Mazraoui; Bouaddi, El Aynaoui; Diaz, Ounahi, El Khannouss; Rahimi

How to Follow

For where to watch information on France v Morocco dedicated to your location, visit our World Cup scores and fixtures page, which contains all available broadcaster details. Fans can also follow all the action via the FIFA Match Centre with team news, live blogs and in-depth statistics on every fixture. Visit our dedicated tickets and hospitality page to find more information on available tickets and hospitality packages for France v Morocco and all FIFA World Cup games.