The Moroccan national team, the sole representative of the Arab and African regions in the 2026 World Cup, is set to embark on a historic match against the French national team, the reigning world runner-up, on Thursday at the Boston stadium. This quarterfinal encounter is part of the tournament being co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, which will run until July 19.
France concluded the group stage of the tournament at the top of Group 9, achieving three consecutive victories. They advanced past Sweden with a decisive 3-0 win, followed by a narrow 1-0 victory against Paraguay in the Round of 16. Meanwhile, Morocco, the Atlas Lions, finished the group stage in second place behind Brazil. They then shocked the world by defeating the Netherlands 1-1 (after extra time, winning 3-2 on penalties) and solidified their strength with a commanding 3-0 victory over Canada, one of the host nations.
Morocco enters this matchup with aspirations of reaching the semifinals for the first time in their history, relying on their quick transitions from defense to attack and effective exploitation of the flanks, spearheaded by players like Achraf Hakimi, Azzedine Ounahi, and Brahim Diaz. However, they face a challenge regarding physical readiness, particularly with doubts surrounding the participation of Ismail Sabiri, who exited the match against Canada early due to injury.
On the other hand, the French team emphasizes ball possession and dictates the rhythm of the game, benefiting from the high technical quality of their stars, including Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé, as they seek to reclaim the World Cup title that has eluded them since 1998 and 2018.
A Unique Encounter Among Friends
This match carries a special flavor, as many players from both teams have shared the pitch in top European clubs throughout the season. Achraf Hakimi will face his Paris Saint-Germain teammates, including Bradley Barcola, Désiré Doué, and Ousmane Dembélé, along with his close friend Kylian Mbappé, adding an exceptional dimension to their individual matchups, given that they are well aware of each other's capabilities.
Furthermore, Ismail Sabiri, Morocco's top scorer in this edition with three goals, is set for a unique match before his anticipated transfer to Bayern Munich next season, where he will meet his future teammates, Mike Olise and Dayot Upamecano from the French squad. Likewise, Brahim Diaz will clash with his future Real Madrid colleague Ibrahima Konaté, who recently transferred from Liverpool to the Spanish giants.
Historical Encounters
The Boston stadium will host the seventh encounter in the history of matches between the two national teams, and only the second in the context of the World Cup. Although Morocco has never won against France in regular time, they have ample reasons to believe in their chances of victory, especially following their outstanding performance in the current tournament.
Below is the record of encounters between the two teams:
- France 2-1 Morocco (Friendly, February 1988, Monaco).
- Morocco 2-2 France, then Morocco won 8-7 on penalties (King Hassan II Friendly Cup, May 1998).
- France 1-0 Morocco (Friendly, January 1999).
- Morocco 1-5 France (Friendly, June 2000).
- France 2-2 Morocco (Friendly, November 2007).
- France 2-0 Morocco (World Cup Semifinal, Qatar 2022).
As reported by sabq.org.
