France vs Morocco: Quarter-Final Showdown in Boston is set to be a thrilling rematch of their 2022 World Cup semi-final. The winner of this opening quarter-final at Boston Stadium will face either Spain or Belgium in the last four of FIFA World Cup 2026.
France enters with the tournament’s only perfect record, winning all five matches in regulation time. After a comfortable group stage and a 3-0 win over Sweden, they narrowly beat Paraguay 1-0 in the Round of 16, with Kylian Mbappé converting a second-half penalty. Mbappé has scored seven goals so far and leads the Golden Boot race. However, midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni is out with an adductor injury, so Manu Koné is expected to start alongside Adrien Rabiot.
Morocco remains unbeaten in five matches, with three wins and two draws, extending their remarkable 34-match unbeaten streak. They defeated Scotland and Haiti in the group stage, drew with Brazil, beat the Netherlands on penalties, and crushed co-hosts Canada 3-0 in the previous round. A major blow is the absence of standout player Ismael Saibari, who injured his hamstring against Canada. Soufiane Rahimi is likely to replace him, while captain Achraf Hakimi leads a solid defense.
France holds the historical advantage with four wins from six meetings, while Morocco has one win and two draws. Their only previous World Cup meeting was that semi-final in Qatar, where France won 2-0. With both teams unbeaten and a place in the semi-finals at stake, this clash promises all the drama and intensity of a classic World Cup encounter.