France vs. Morocco: Another Semi-Final for "Les Bleus" or Sweet Revenge for the "Atlas Lions"

After yesterday's break from World Cup action, the 2026 tournament returns today with the first quarter-final clash. France and Morocco are set to face off at 11:00 PM Bulgarian time (4:00 PM ET) at Gillette Stadium, vying for a spot in the semi-finals. The winner will then meet either Spain or Belgium.

This match is a repeat of the semi-final from the previous World Cup, where France defeated Morocco 2-0.

The "Les Bleus," aiming for their third consecutive World Cup semi-final appearance, have been the most dominant team in the tournament and are considered strong favorites for the trophy. Didier Deschamps' squad has won all five of their matches so far, scoring at least three goals in four of them. The only exception was their Round of 16 encounter with Paraguay, which was overshadowed by the South American team's highly defensive and provocative play. The French, however, maintained their composure and secured a 1-0 victory with a penalty goal from Kylian Mbappé. To date, "Les Bleus" have scored 14 goals at the 2026 World Cup, with seven of those coming from the Real Madrid forward.

Deschamps himself will manage his 25th World Cup match on Thursday, equaling Helmut Schön's long-standing record. The experienced coach will be aiming for his 20th victory on football's biggest stage.

Morocco will be looking to finally defeat France on their seventh attempt, having lost four of their six previous encounters.

The "Atlas Lions" are currently on a ten-match unbeaten streak since the African Cup of Nations final against Senegal, which they initially lost in extra time but were later awarded a default victory.

Similar to 2022, Morocco is on a five-game winning streak at the World Cup. It was France who ended that run previously. Now, Mohamed Ouahbi's team will be seeking revenge.

In the Round of 16, the Moroccans had no issues, defeating co-hosts Canada 3-0 with just four shots on target.

According to French media, Deschamps is expected to make only one change to his lineup: Désiré Doué, who performed well against Paraguay, will start on the left wing in place of Bradley Barcola. Aurélien Tchouaméni is dealing with a thigh issue and is likely unavailable. Manu Koné will once again partner Adrien Rabiot in midfield, despite being one yellow card away from suspension. Michael Olise is another player who risks missing the semi-final if he receives a yellow card and will also start. France appealed the yellow card the winger received at the end of the match against Paraguay, but the appeal was rejected.

The biggest absentee for Morocco will be Bayern Munich's new signing, Ismael Saibari, who has impressed with his performances at the 2026 World Cup but was substituted early in the match against Canada and will not be available tonight. In his absence, Soufiane Rahimi, who scored one of the goals against Canada, will lead the attack.