TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - France are set to face Morocco in the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup at Boston Stadium in the United States, on Friday morning, July 10, 2026. Scheduled to kick off at 3:00 a.m. Indonesian time and broadcast live on TVRI, the match will reenact the 2022 World Cup semifinals as teams compete for a spot in the final four.
France enters as one of the favorites for the title. Managed by Didier Deschamps, the team breezed through five matches to reach the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, Morocco has once again impressed as representatives from Africa, reaching the quarterfinals undefeated.
Les Bleus secured their place as Group I champions before eliminating Sweden and Paraguay in the knockout stages. Their victory over Paraguay was settled by a penalty from Kylian Mbappe. Overall, France has scored 13 goals in five matches in the 2026 World Cup.
The sharpness of France's frontline comes from the combination of Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise, and Bradley Barcola. They also received significant contributions from Desire Doue, who won a penalty in the match against Paraguay.
Deschamps, who will conclude his tenure after the 2026 World Cup, has led France to win 11 out of their last 12 competitive matches. If he guides his team against Morocco, he will mark his 25th World Cup game as a coach, equaling Helmut Schon's record.
France also holds a superior record in previous encounters with Morocco. As cited by Sportskeeda, out of six previous meetings, Les Bleus secured four victories, one draw, and suffered only one defeat. The last meeting between the two teams took place in the 2022 World Cup semifinals in Qatar, where France emerged victorious with a 2-0 win through goals from Theo Hernandez and Randal Kolo Muani, before finishing as runners-up after losing to Argentina in the final.
Nevertheless, Morocco has once again shown their consistency in the World Cup. Led by Mohamed Ouahbi, they qualified as runners-up in Group C, defeated the Netherlands on penalties in the round of 32, and beat Canada 3-0 in the round of 16.
During the match against Canada, Morocco faced difficulties in the first half. However, two goals from Azzedine Ounahi after half-time break turned the tide in their favor. Soufiane Rahimi then sealed the victory with a goal in injury time.
These results extend Morocco's unbeaten run to 10 matches since the African Cup final in January. However, facing France is expected to be their toughest test in this tournament.
Individually, Mbappe is the main focus for France. His penalty goal against Paraguay has taken his tally to seven goals in the 2026 World Cup. He is in contention with Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland for the Golden Boot. Mbappe has also scored a total of 19 goals throughout his World Cup appearances.
Morocco national team player Brahim Diaz dribbles the ball during the match against the Netherlands in the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup at Monterrey Stadium, Guadalupe, Mexico, on June 29, 2026, local time. ANTARA/Aditya Pradana Putra.
Current Team Conditions
Deschamps is not expected to make many changes to the lineup. As reported by Sportsmole, Manu Kone has the chance to return to the midfield, replacing the injured Aurelien Tchouameni. Marcus Thuram's availability is also in doubt.
In the Moroccan camp, the condition of Ismael Saibari is still being monitored after suffering a hamstring injury against Canada. If not fully recovered, he may be replaced by Soufiane Rahimi. Meanwhile, the fitness of center-back Chadi Riad remains uncertain.
Morocco still possesses a dangerous weapon in Brahim Diaz. The attacking midfielder provided two assists against Canada, bringing his total to four assists in the World Cup, the most among African players. Throughout 2026, he has been directly involved in 10 goals with the Moroccan national team.
France's Dominance Over Morocco
Out of six meetings between the two teams, Les Bleus have claimed four victories, while Morocco has only won once. Another match ended in a draw. As mentioned in Sport Ilustrated, the rivalry between the two countries began in 1988 at the Tournoi de France, when France defeated Morocco 2-1.
Morocco's sole victory occurred in the King Hassan II Cup 1998. After a 2-2 draw until extra time, Morocco triumphed in a penalty shootout. French defender Vincent Candela missed the decisive penalty.
France then continued their dominance over Morocco. Les Bleus won 1-0 in a friendly match in 1999 before achieving their biggest victory over Morocco a year later. In the final of the King Hassan II Cup 2000, France thrashed Morocco with a 5-1 scoreline. Thierry Henry, Youri Djorkaeff, Christophe Dugarry, Nicolas Anelka, and Sylvain Wiltord each contributed a goal.
The two teams met again seven years later in a friendly match at the Stade de France. In 2007, the match ended in a 2-2 draw. Samir Nasri and Sidney Govou scored for France, while Morocco responded through Youssef Mokhtari and Tarik Sektioui.
The last meeting between the teams was in the 2022 World Cup semifinals in Qatar. In that match, France emerged victorious with a 2-0 win through goals from Theo Hernandez and Randal Kolo Muani, advancing to the final, while Morocco had to settle for fourth place.
Prediction
Their head-to-head record and squad depth make France the clear favorites to secure a spot in the semifinals. However, Morocco's impressive performance in the 2026 World Cup suggests that this match will be fiercely contested and decided by crucial moments. It may even go into extra time.
Read: 2026 FIFA World Cup Quarter-Finals: Full Match Schedule
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