France vs Morocco: FIFA World Cup 2026™ Quarter-final Preview

France and Morocco meet once again on the World Cup stage on Thursday as they battle for a place in the semi-finals at Boston Stadium.

The fixture is a repeat of the memorable 2022 semi-final, when Les Bleus ended Morocco's historic run in Qatar with a 2-0 victory, and the Atlas Lions have an opportunity to rewrite that story four years later.

Didier Deschamps' side have looked every bit like contenders for a third World Cup crown, winning all five of their matches and scoring 13 goals to reach the last eight. Their toughest test so far came in a heated Round of 16 clash against Paraguay, where Kylian Mbappé's second-half penalty proved the difference in a hard-fought 1-0 victory. France have now reached the quarter-finals in three consecutive World Cups and are aiming to book another place in the final four.

Morocco, meanwhile, continue to build on the momentum generated by their remarkable run in Qatar four years ago. Mohamed Ouahbi's side finished second in Group C before edging past the Netherlands on penalties in the Round of 32, then produced one of their most complete displays of the tournament by defeating co-hosts Canada 3-0. Azzedine Ounahi scored twice after the interval before substitute Soufiane Rahimi added a late third to send the Atlas Lions into another World Cup quarter-final.

France remain one of the tournament's most dangerous attacking sides. Mbappe leads the Golden Boot race alongside Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland with seven goals, while Ousmane Dembélé and Michael Olise have consistently provided creativity from the flanks. Despite their attacking quality, France have also shown they can grind out results when required, something they demonstrated against Paraguay.

France's Round of 16 victory over Paraguay also marked another milestone for Didier Deschamps, whose 10th World Cup knockout-stage win made him the most successful head coach in FIFA World Cup finals history.

Morocco's success has once again been built on defensive organisation, tactical discipline and quick transitions. Achraf Hakimi and Noussair Mazraoui provide attacking width from full-back, while Ounahi has become increasingly influential in midfield after his match-winning display against Canada. If Morocco are to reach the semi-finals, they will likely need another composed defensive performance while making the most of opportunities on the counter-attack.

There are fitness concerns for both teams heading into Thursday's contest. Aurélien Tchouaméni remains a doubt for France with a thigh injury, meaning Manu Koné is expected to continue alongside Adrien Rabiot in midfield. Marcus Thuram is also unavailable, while Deschamps is otherwise expected to keep faith with the side that progressed past Paraguay.

Morocco could once again be without Ismael Saibari after the forward suffered a hamstring injury against Canada. Chadi Riad is also a doubt after being forced off in the same match, with Redouane Halhal on standby should the defender fail to recover in time.

France will start as favourites thanks to their experience and attacking firepower, but Morocco have already shown throughout this tournament they are capable of frustrating elite opponents. With a place in the semi-finals at stake and memories of their 2022 meeting still fresh, another fiercely contested encounter should be expected.