Morocco faces France in World Cup quarterfinal rematch of 2022

Morocco, who were eliminated by France in the 2022 World Cup semifinal, will meet them in the quarterfinal this time. Opta's supercomputer gives France the edge, with Morocco's win probability at 16.2 percent.

Scraper SystemJuly 09, 2026, 01:52 PM

Morocco faces France in World Cup quarterfinal rematch of 2022

The Morocco national team is adding another historic battle to its World Cup journey. The Atlas Lions, who lost to France in the 2022 semifinal, now face them in the quarterfinal. The match will be played on Thursday, July 9, at 23:00 Turkish time (TSİ) at Boston Stadium in Boston, USA.

The two teams first met in an official match in the Qatar 2022 semifinal. In that encounter, France won 2-0 with goals from Theo Hernandez and Randal Kolo Muani, ending Morocco's run in the tournament. In the five friendly matches played to date, France has three wins and two draws.

What are Morocco's chances?

According to Opta's supercomputer and its 25,000 simulations, France is the clear favorite. The analysis calculated France's probability of winning in regular time at 61.7 percent. Morocco's chance of victory is 16.2 percent, and the probability of a draw is 22.1 percent. If the match ends in a draw, the winner will be decided by extra time and possibly penalties.

Friendship on the pitch: Hakimi and Mbappe

Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi said that facing his close friend and France captain Kylian Mbappe on the pitch would not affect their friendship. The pair previously played together at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). In a humorous video shared on Instagram by Moroccan comedian Mimo Lazraq, it was jokingly suggested that if Mbappe were a true friend, he should give Hakimi a chance for revenge.

What did the coaches say?

Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi, speaking after their 3-0 win over Canada in the round of 16, said: 'We are no longer a surprise and that is a great source of pride. I think this is just the beginning.' Ouahbi stated that taking revenge on France is not their main motivation, adding: 'We want to go as far as possible and make our people proud.'

Halftime show at the final

FIFA announced that it will stage a Super Bowl-style halftime show during the World Cup final. Alongside Justin Bieber, Madonna, Shakira, and BTS, Afrobeats star Burna Boy, Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel, and the PS22 Chorus, accompanied by Coldplay, will also perform. The 11-minute performance, curated by Coldplay's Chris Martin, will take place at the final match outside New York on July 19. The show will support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which aims to raise $100 million to improve children's access to education and football opportunities.

FBI investigation into AFA

According to Argentina's La Nacion newspaper, US federal prosecutors and FBI agents are examining the financial activities of the Argentine Football Association (AFA) in the United States. The investigation has scrutinized sponsorship revenues and transactions linked to companies making payments on behalf of the federation. It was reported that the probe focuses on $300 million that passed through the US financial system and whether these transactions violated US laws such as money laundering or bank fraud. AFA, for its part, argued that the investigation does not imply guilt and that everyone should be presumed innocent until proven otherwise.

White House statement on Iran

White House World Cup Task Force Executive Director Andrew Giuliani said regarding Iran's visa restrictions during the tournament that the team's decision to camp in Tijuana, Mexico, instead of Tucson was mutually beneficial. Giuliani stated that despite Iran's complaints, cross-border logistics worked smoothly for all parties. The Iranian Football Federation had to move its camp from Arizona to Mexico at the last minute due to uncertainty over US entry visas. Giuliani said: 'It is important to note that the Iranians chose to go to Tijuana. We, the Mexicans, and the Iranians were all happy with this choice.'

Morocco faces France in World Cup quarterfinal rematch of 2022