Exciting Showdown Ahead
On Thursday at 9 PM UK time, France and Morocco are set to clash in a thrilling encounter during the 2026 World Cup, with a coveted spot in the semi-finals hanging in the balance. France, known as Les Bleus, have demonstrated their prowess by reaching the finals in the last two World Cups and are on a determined path to achieve a third consecutive final in this tournament. Their journey has been nothing short of impressive, as they have won all five of their matches to date. After topping their group, France faced Sweden in the round of 32, securing a decisive 3-0 victory against their European rivals. However, the round of 16 proved to be a more challenging affair, where France had to dig deep to clinch a narrow 1-0 win over Paraguay, thanks to a penalty converted by the sensational Kylian Mbappe.
Morocco's Historic Pursuit
On the other hand, Morocco is eager to continue their remarkable journey. Having made history by reaching the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup, they are now striving to become the first African nation to reach the semi-finals twice, let alone in back-to-back tournaments. After navigating a tough group stage, Morocco finished second, which earned them a challenging last-32 match against the Netherlands. The Moroccan side showcased their resilience by equalizing late in the game and ultimately triumphing over the Dutch in a tense penalty shootout. They followed this with an impressive 3-0 victory against co-hosts Canada in the last-16, demonstrating their attacking capabilities in the second half of that match.
This matchup will mark the ninth encounter between these two nations, and it is the first since their meeting in the 2022 World Cup, where Les Bleus emerged victorious in the semi-finals before finishing as runners-up.
French coach Didier Deschamps made a single change in the lineup that faced Paraguay, opting for Manu Kone to replace Aurelien Tchouameni in midfield. Kone is expected to retain his position, having started three of France's matches thus far. Adrien Rabiot has been a consistent presence in the lineup, starting four out of five games, and is likely to continue partnering Kone in the midfield. There may be a shift in the attacking front, as Bradley Barcola did not have the most impactful game against Paraguay, replaced by Desire Doue, who went on to win the decisive penalty. Doue might get the nod to start alongside the dynamic duo of Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele.
Deschamps seems to have settled on a reliable defensive formation, with Mike Maignan continuing in goal, supported by Dayot Upamecano and William Saliba at center-back. Lucas Digne has emerged as the preferred left-back over Theo Hernandez, while Jules Kounde appears to be the undisputed right-back. This defensive lineup has been consistent throughout three of France's five matches to this point in the tournament.
Morocco's pathway to the quarter-finals was bittersweet, as they triumphed over Canada but lost Ismael Saibari to injury early in the match, leaving his availability for this clash in doubt. Soufiane Rahimi, who stepped in for Saibari, is positioned to lead the attack. The rest of the offensive lineup is expected to remain unchanged, with Azzedine Ounahi emerging as a key player after netting two goals against Canada. He will be supported by Brahim Diaz and Bilal El Khannouss as they seek to penetrate a formidable French defense. Morocco has maintained a consistent double pivot throughout the tournament, with Ayyoub Bouaddi and Neil El Aynaoui starting in four of their five matches.
Chadi Riad, who missed the victory over Canada due to injury, is anticipated to return, partnering Issa Diop in what is expected to be a solid defensive pairing for Morocco. Achraf Hakimi and Noussair Mazraoui will continue as full-backs, with Yassine Bounou guarding the goal.
Expected lineups: France (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Kounde, Upamecano, Saliba, Digne; Rabiot, Kone; Dembele, Olise, Doue; Mbappe. Morocco (4-2-3-1): Bounou; Hakimi, Diop, Riad, Mazraoui; El Aynaoui, Bouaddi; Diaz, Ounahi, El Khannouss; Rahimi.
As reported by squawka.com.
