The Atlas Lions kick off the World Cup quarter-finals against France
The first team through to the 2026 World Cup quarter-finals, Morocco kick off this decisive stage against France on July 9, in a rematch of the Qatar 2022 semi-final.
The first team through to the 2026 World Cup quarter-finals, Morocco open this decisive stage against France on Thursday, July 9, at Gillette Stadium in the Boston area.
The Atlas Lions reached the quarter-finals for a second straight time by beating Canada 3-0, thanks to an Azzedine Ounahi brace and a Soufiane Rahimi goal, confirming that their Qatar 2022 run was no fluke.
France, meanwhile, had a tougher time than expected, edging Paraguay 1-0 thanks to a penalty converted by Kylian Mbappé in the 70th minute — his seventh goal of the tournament, level with Lionel Messi at the top of the Golden Boot race.
This tie carries extra weight: it's a rematch of the 2022 World Cup semi-final in Qatar, won 2-0 by Les Bleus on their way to the title.
Between Morocco's hunger for revenge and France's ambition to prove their staying power, the quarter-final stage kicks off with all the ingredients of a blockbuster.
