The 2026 FIFA World Cup enters its decisive stage on Thursday with Morocco and France renewing their growing rivalry in the first of four mouth-watering quarter-final fixtures across North America.
The clash is a repeat of the 2022 World Cup semi-final, where France ended Morocco’s historic run with a 2-0 victory before going on to reach the final.
This time, the Atlas Lions return with another opportunity to make history after becoming the first African nation to reach the World Cup quarter-finals in back-to-back tournaments.
Morocco booked their place in the last eight with an impressive 3-0 victory over Canada, while France edged Paraguay 1-0 thanks to Kylian Mbappé’s second-half penalty to maintain their perfect record in the tournament.
Although France and Morocco have met six times at the senior international level, only one of those meetings has come at the World Cup. Their previous encounters have largely been friendlies, making Thursday’s contest only the second meeting between the sides on football’s biggest stage.
