Morocco vs France World Cup Quarter-Final Set for July 9 in Boston
Morocco and France renew their World Cup rivalry in the first quarter‑final of the 2026 tournament, meeting on Thursday, 9 July at Boston's stadium in the United States. The Atlas Lions qualified with a 3‑0 win over Canada, while Les Bleus edged Paraguay 1‑0 thanks to a second‑half penalty from Kylian Mbappé, keeping their perfect record in the competition. This rematch of the 2022 semi‑final — where France won 2‑0 — marks Morocco’s second consecutive quarter‑final appearance, making them the first African nation to reach the last eight in back‑to‑back World Cups.
France enters as a title favourite, having won all five of its matches inside regulation time and scoring 14 goals, with Mbappé leading the attack. Morocco, under Walid Regragui, has extended its unbeaten run in normal time to 34 matches after the Canada victory and remains Africa’s sole representative after Egypt’s exit in the round of 16.
The quarter‑final slate also includes Spain vs Belgium (Los Angeles), Norway vs England (Miami) and defending champions Argentina vs Switzerland (Kansas City). Notably, this is the first World Cup where neither Brazil nor Germany reached the last eight, and Norway, Belgium, Switzerland and Morocco are still chasing their maiden title.
Will Morocco finally break through against a formidable French side, or will Les Bleus continue their dominance and advance toward a second straight title?