The 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals reach fever pitch on Thursday in Boston, where two-time champions France face a Morocco side out for revenge in what is arguably the tie of the round.
With a third straight semi-final on the line for Les Bleus, all eyes will be on Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembélé to fire France past an Atlas Lions team that has grown from 2022 giant-killers to genuine contenders.
Didier Deschamps’ side have been ruthless so far. Five straight wins have taken them through Group I and past Sweden and Paraguay. They’ve scored 13 goals and have now won 11 of their last 12 competitive matches.
The attack is the headline. A front four of Mbappe, Dembélé, Michael Olise and Bradley Barcola has been electric, with Désiré Doué adding the creativity that won the penalty against Paraguay.
Mbappe is leading both the charge and the records. His spot-kick vs Paraguay took him to 7 goals in the tournament, level with Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland in the Golden Boot race. On 19 World Cup goals overall, he’s also chasing Messi’s all-time mark.
The captain will wear the armband again in Boston, the same city where France beat Norway 4-1 earlier in the tournament.
Off the pitch, Deschamps is making history too. Thursday will be his 25th World Cup match in charge, equalling Helmut Schon’s record. A win would be his 20th at a World Cup. It will also be his final tournament in charge.
France are expected to stick with the same XI. Manu Kone will likely deputise again for the injured Aurélien Tchouaméni, while Marcus Thuram remains out.
France predicted XI: Maignan; Kounde, Upamecano, Saliba, Digne; Kone, Rabiot; Dembélé, Olise, Barcola; Mbappe
Three years after France beat them 2-0 in the Qatar semi-final, Morocco are back, and better. Under Mohamed Ouahbi, the Atlas Lions are unbeaten in 10 games. They knocked out Netherlands and then dismantled Canada 3-0, playing a bold 4-2-3-1 built around quick passing and positional rotation.
The core from 2022 is still there: Achraf Hakimi, Yassine Bounou, Noussair Mazraoui, Sofyan Amrabat and Azzedine Ounahi all remember that semi-final defeat. This time they arrive with more maturity, more depth, and the belief that they belong.
New names have stepped up too. Ayyoub Bouaddi has slotted into midfield seamlessly, Issa Diop has redeemed himself at centre-back, and bench options like Karim El Mourabet and Gessime Yassine have made impacts. The only big blow is Ismaël Saibari, who is out.
Morocco can hurt by keeping the ball and building from the back, or by digging in and hitting on the break — as they showed against Canada.
Tonight's game, for France, is about staying on track for a historic third consecutive semi-final and giving Deschamps the perfect send-off. For Morocco, it’s about revenge and more.
France have the stars and the pedigree while Morocco boasts of momentum, cohesion, and a score to settle. With Mbappe chasing the Golden Boot and Dembélé back to his explosive best, France’s attack will be tested by a Morocco defence that has conceded just 3 goals in 5 games.
Kickoff : Thursday, July 9 | 4 p.m. ET | 23:00 Hrs East African Time |
