The quarter-final stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup gets underway on Thursday night with a highly anticipated showdown between France and Morocco, as both sides battle for a place in the last four of the tournament.
The encounter, scheduled for 9 p.m. Nigerian time, rekindles memories of the 2022 World Cup semi-final in Qatar, where France ended Morocco’s historic run with a 2-0 victory courtesy of goals from Theo Hernandez and Randal Kolo Muani. That defeat denied the Atlas Lions the chance to become the first African nation to reach a World Cup final.
Four years later, Morocco returns to the global stage with renewed confidence and greater belief in their ability to challenge football’s elite.
Head coach Mohamed Ouahbi has repeatedly insisted that his side is capable of defeating any team in the world, and their performances in the United States, Canada and Mexico have backed up that claim.
Morocco remains the only African nation left in the competition and are yet to taste defeat. They have impressed throughout the tournament, including eliminating the Netherlands before producing a disciplined display to overcome Canada in the Round of 16. Unlike previous African teams that faltered late in matches, the Atlas Lions stayed composed before sealing victory with two late goals.
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Standing in their way, however, is a France side that has looked every bit a title contender. Didier Deschamps’ men have been one of the tournament’s most prolific teams, scoring 14 goals so far.
Les Bleus topped Group I with victories over Senegal, Iraq and Norway before comfortably defeating Sweden 3-0 in the knockout stage. They then edged past Paraguay 1-0 in a hard-fought Round of 16 encounter, with the South Americans becoming the first side to significantly disrupt France’s usually free-flowing attack.
Morocco will hope to replicate Paraguay’s defensive discipline while finding a way to contain a star-studded French frontline led by Kylian Mbappé, who has scored seven goals and is chasing Lionel Messi in the race for the tournament’s Golden Boot. France’s attacking options also include Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembélé, and either Désiré Doué or Bradley Barcola.
Although Morocco will be without leading scorer Ismael Saibari, they still possess attacking quality capable of troubling the French defence.
Captain Achraf Hakimi continues to be a driving force from right-back, while Brahim Díaz has been instrumental in attack. Forward Soufiane Rahimi is also expected to play a key role as Morocco seek to pull off another major upset.
With memories of their 2022 heartbreak still fresh, Morocco will be aiming to rewrite history by ending France’s title hopes, while Les Bleus will be looking to repeat their previous success and take another step towards lifting the World Cup trophy.
The winner of Thursday’s clash will secure a place in the semi-finals of football’s biggest tournament.