Overview
After overcoming Paraguay in the round of 16 with Kylian Mbappe's decisive goal from the penalty spot, the French team continues to aim to conquer the 2026 World Cup with a challenge named Morocco in the quarter-finals.
Les Bleus are showing very impressive form. 3 consecutive victories helped coach Didier Deschamps' team top Group I before defeating Sweden and Paraguay in the knockout rounds. In that series of matches, France scored 13 goals.
The strength of the blue shirt team comes from a fast and technical attack with Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise and Bradley Barcola. Besides, young talent Desire Doue also left his mark when he brought in the decisive penalty in the victory over Paraguay.
The 2026 World Cup is also Didier Deschamps' last tournament as head coach of the French national team. The coach who brought France to the world championship in 2018 is aiming for a memorable milestone. He is preparing for his 25th match at the World Cup, equaling the record of legend Helmut Schon.
If he defeats Morocco, Deschamps will own his 20th victory at the World Cups, a achievement that affirms the position of one of the most successful coaches in the history of the tournament.
In the opposite direction, Morocco continues to write an impressive journey of African football. Coach Mohamed Ouahbi's team entered the quarter-finals with a 5-match unbeaten streak at the 2026 World Cup, after finishing second in Group C and then successively defeating the Netherlands on penalties and defeating host Canada with a score of 3-0.
In the victory over Canada, Azzedine Ounahi scored a double in the second half before Soufiane Rahimi sealed the score in injury time.
In all competitions, Morocco has gone 10 consecutive matches without losing since the defeat in the African Cup final in January. However, ahead of them will be the biggest challenge since the beginning of the tournament when they have to face the championship contender France.
History also does not favor the African representative. Morocco has never defeated France after seven encounters, including four defeats. The most recent meeting in an official tournament was the 2022 World Cup semi-finals, where Les Bleus won 2-0 to end Morocco's miraculous journey.
Now, Morocco has the opportunity to reclaim its old debt, while France is determined to extend the winning streak to take another step on the journey to conquer the World Cup championship.
Personnel situation
Didier Deschamps is likely to keep the starting lineup that has been operating stably recently. Manu Kone is expected to continue to start in midfield instead of Aurelien Tchouameni.
Meanwhile, Marcus Thuram has not yet been able to return due to a thigh injury. This striker was absent from the match against Paraguay and continued to miss subsequent training sessions.
On the Moroccan side, the biggest concern lies in the condition of Ismael Saibari. The Bayern Munich newcomer played prominently in the group stage but had to leave the field early in the round of 16 due to a hamstring injury.
If Saibari does not recover in time, Soufiane Rahimi is likely to be pushed to play highest in the attack. In defense, the possibility of central defender Chadi Riad playing is still open after he had to give up his position to Redouane Halhal in the previous match.
Expected lineup:
Maignan, Kounde, Upamecano, Saliba, Digne, Kone, Rabiot, Dembele, Olise, Barcola, Mbappe.
Bounou, Hakimi, Diop, Riad, Mazraoui, El Aynaoui, Bouaddi, Diaz, Ounahi, El Khannouss, Rahimi.
The match between France and Morocco takes place at 3:00 AM on July 10 (Vietnam time).
