France vs. Morocco Top Storylines, Odds, Live Stream for World Cup 2026
The first quarterfinal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup is a rematch of one of the 2022 semifinals.
Kylian Mbappe and France will try to beat Morocco once again to reach the semifinal round for the third straight World Cup.
Morocco is still the underdog in the matchup, but it is far more equipped to deal with the threat posed by Mbappe and Co. than some of France's other opponents.
Morocco does have the biggest injury concern, though, as top scorer Ismael Saibari left the round-of-16 win over Canada with an injury.
There's no update yet on Saibari's status, but even if he plays, he won't be at 100 percent.
Match Info and Odds
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Date: Thursday, July 9
Start Time: 4 p.m. ET
TV: Fox
Live Stream: Fox One and FoxSports.com
To Qualify for Next Round: France (-420; bet $420 to win $100); Morocco (+310; bet $100 to win $310)
90-Minute Money Line: France (-185); Morocco (+500); Draw (+280)
France Aiming For Third Straight World Cup Semifinal Berth
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France is one win away from securing its third straight World Cup semifinal berth.
That's a remarkable level of consistency, even for one of the sport's superpowers.
Kylian Mbappe's played a massive role in that success, but this time around, it isn't all about him in attack.
Michael Olise's level has been as high as any player. Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue and Bradley Barcola have been valuable contributors as well in attack.
France won't face a stingy low block again, like it did against Paraguay in the round of 16, but Morocco's defense will be tough to break down.
Morocco will actually try to play for the win in 90 minutes, so it'll be more of a back-and-forth game in which France should have a few clear-cut chances in transition.
France should really be prepared for whatever Morocco throws at it. It is familiar with the African side from 2022 and it's dealt with all different types of defensive strategies in this tournament alone.
Senegal and Paraguay were tough to break down until France finally scored, Norway and Sweden had more wide-open defenses and Iraq was simply overpowered by Mbappe and Co.
France has the two best players on the field in Mbappe and Olise. The expectation is for one or both of them to deliver a moment of magic to send Les Bleus into the final four.
Can Morocco Make It Back to Semifinals?
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Morocco already proved that the 2022 trip to the semifinal was not a fluke.
The African side is here to stay among the powers of men's soccer. It has a real chance to beat France and make its second straight semifinal.
There's a ton of quality throughout the squad, but that will take a hit if Ismael Saibari can't go.
Saibari left the round-of-16 win over Canada with an apparent lower-body injury. No update has been provided yet, but based off the seriousness of the injury when he left the field, it doesn't seem positive.
Saibari, a recent Bayern Munich signing, bagged three goals in four games before his injury.
Morocco managed to score three times without its top striker against Canada. His replacement, Soufiane Rahimi, scored the final tally. Azzedine Ounahi bagged a brace in that win.
Achraf Hakimi's effectiveness in attack will be vital for Morocco. The PSG defender might be pinned back in defense because of France's attacking options.
Hakimi brings another element to the Moroccan attack with his crossing and willingness to shoot from the right wing. If he activates in the final third, Morocco has another option to throw at the French defense.
France's back line hasn't been tested much in the tournament, so there is a chance it is vulnerable on a few occasions.
However, scoring, and even creating chances, will be more difficult without Saibari on the field if he is ruled out.
