Analysis: Morocco out to avenge 2022 World Cup heartbreak against France
By Joel Masibo, July 8, 2026As the only African side standing, Morocco will have the perfect opportunity to erase painful memories from four years ago when they face France in the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-finals.
The Atlas Lions were knocked out by Les Bleus in the semi-finals of the 2022 tournament in Qatar, and now they are determined to return the favour while chasing another historic place in the last four.
The two sides will meet on Thursday, July 9, 2026, at Boston Stadium, with kick-off scheduled for 4:00 pm local time (Boston), 10:00 pm in Paris and 9:00 pm in Rabat.
Match outlook
France are pursuing another remarkable milestone as they attempt to become only the second European nation to reach three successive World Cup finals. Standing in their way is a Moroccan team that made history in Qatar by becoming the first African nation to reach the semi-finals, and which is hoping to repeat that achievement in North America.
France have looked among the tournament’s strongest teams throughout the competition. Appearing at their eighth straight World Cup, Didier Deschamps’ side swept through Group I with victories over Senegal (3-1), Iraq (3-0) and Norway (4-1). Their attacking unit, led by Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise, has consistently troubled opponents, while Bradley Barcola has also added another dangerous option in attack.
Les Bleus continued their impressive form by defeating Sweden 3-0 in the Round of 32 before overcoming stubborn resistance from Paraguay in the Round of 16. Mbappe’s penalty proved decisive as France secured a narrow 1-0 victory to advance.
Morocco’s journey has demanded greater resilience. Under Mohamed Ouahbi, the Atlas Lions opened with a commendable 1-1 draw against Brazil before defeating Scotland 1-0 and overcoming Haiti 4-2 to finish second in Group C.
Their knockout campaign has been full of drama. A late header from Issa Diop rescued Morocco against the Netherlands in the Round of 32 before they triumphed in the ensuing penalty shootout. Confidence continued to grow in the Round of 16 as two goals from Azzedine Ounahi and another from Soufiane Rahimi sealed an impressive 3-0 victory over tournament co-hosts Canada.
The winner of this contest will book a semi-final clash in Dallas on July 14 against whichever team progresses from the quarter-final featuring Portugal, Spain, the United States or Belgium.
Possible line-ups
France and Morocco have met only once at the World Cup, with that match coming in the semi-finals of Qatar 2022. Theo Hernandez put France ahead within five minutes before Randal Kolo Muani added a late second goal to secure a 2-0 victory and send the reigning champions into another World Cup final.
France: Mike Maignan; Jules Kounde, Dayot Upamecano, William Saliba, Lucas Digne; Manu Kone, Adrien Rabiot; Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola; Kylian Mbappe.
Morocco: Yassine Bounou; Achraf Hakimi, Issa Diop, Halhal, Noussair Mazraoui; Bouaddi, Neil El Aynaoui; Brahim Diaz, Azzedine Ounahi, Bilal El Khannouss; Soufiane Rahimi.
Boston hosts its final World Cup match
Boston Stadium will stage its seventh and final match of the 2026 World Cup. Both France and Morocco have already celebrated victories at the venue during the tournament.
France defeated Norway 4-1 there in the group stage, inspired by a Dembele hat-trick and another goal from Desire Doue. Morocco also enjoyed success at the stadium, edging Scotland 1-0 thanks to an early strike from Ismael Saibari.
The venue, home to Major League Soccer club New England Revolution and NFL team New England Patriots, underwent major upgrades before the tournament, including the installation of a massive video board and a towering lighthouse feature.