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France and Morocco will face off in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup on Thursday, July 9, in a match that revives one of the most historically charged encounters in recent World Cup history. The at Gillette Stadium in Boston (Foxborough, Massachusetts).
For those who want to watch it live, the times vary by country: 4:00 PM in Cuba and the eastern United States, 2:00 PM in Mexico (central time), and 9:00 PM in Spain. On television, the match is broadcast in the U.S. by FOX, Telemundo, and fuboTV; in Mexico by TUDN, Azteca 7, Canal 5, and ViX Premium; and in Spain by DAZN, La 1 de RTVE, and Movistar+.
The most recent match between the two teams was the semifinal of the Qatar 2022 World Cup, held on December 11, 2022, where France won 2-0 with goals from Theo Hernández and Randal Kolo Muani. In that tournament, Morocco made history by becoming the first African team to reach a World Cup semifinal, after eliminating Portugal in the quarter-finals. France reached the final of Qatar 2022 but lost to Argentina in penalties.
France arrives at this crossroads as the undisputed leader of Group I, with nine points and a record of 10 goals scored and only two conceded. The French team swept through the group stage against Senegal (3-1), Iraq (3-0), and Norway (4-1), accumulating a goal difference of +8 that positioned them as one of the most formidable teams in the tournament.
In the round of sixteen, France defeated Sweden 3-0 on July 1 in New Jersey, with a brace from Kylian Mbappé, who reached 18 World Cup goals in his career with this match. In the round of eight, on July 4 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Mbappé scored a penalty in the 70th minute to eliminate Paraguay 1-0 and secure a spot in the quarterfinals.
Morocco finished second in Group C with seven points: they drew 1-1 with Brazil, defeated Scotland 1-0, and thrashed Haiti 4-2, with six goals scored and three conceded. In the Round of 16, the Atlas Lions drew 1-1 with the Netherlands and eliminated them 3-2 in the penalty shootout.
In the round of 16, on July 4, Morocco crushed Canada 3-0 at the NRG Stadium in Houston with a brace from Azzedine Ounahi (in the 50th and 82nd minutes) and a goal from Soufiane Rahimi in the 90th minute, assisted by Achraf Hakimi on the first goal. This performance confirmed the excellent form of the African team heading into the quarter-finals.
The winner of the match on July 9 will advance to the semifinals of the 2026 World Cup, where they will face the winner of the other match in their bracket.
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