LIVE – France vs Morocco: Commentary, updates, goals and stats – Mbappé chases semi-final spot
France will face Morocco in the World Cup quarter-finals tonight. Follow everything from Foxborough.
Team news Morocco
Ismael Saibari (hamstring) is out again. Chadi Riad is also not back from his knee injury. Mohamed Ouahbi makes two changes from the line-up against Canada – Anass Salah-Eddine and Chemsdine Talbi start in place of Saibari and Redouane Halhal.
Morocco XI: Bounou – Salah-Eddine, Mazraoui, Diop, Hakimi – El Aynaoui, Bouaddi – Talbi, Ounahi, Díaz – El Khannouss
COMMENT
SUBSTITUTES: Brice Samba, Robin Risser, Theo Hernández, Malo Gusto, Maxence Lacroix, Ibrahima Konaté, Lucas Hernández, Maghnes Akliouche, Warren Zaïre-Emery, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Rayan Cherki, N’Golo Kanté, Bradley Barcola, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Marcus Thuram.
LINE-UP FRANCE (4-2-3-1): Mike Maignan – Jules Koundé, Dayot Upamecano, William Saliba, Lucas Digne – Manu Koné, Adrien Rabiot – Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise, Désiré Doué – Kylian Mbappé.
Prior to 2022 , Morocco had participated in the World Cup five times – and only once advanced to the knockout stages. Now the Atlas Lions are in their second straight quarter-final. Just like France, they are unbeaten in five games, coming off a commanding 3-0 win over fellow hosts Canada. Now Morocco want revenge for the 2-0 loss in the semi-finals in Qatar – but they have never beaten France in six attempts (two draws, four losses). Mohamed Ouahbi is hoping to break that statistic – and historically, he has it in him: when he led Morocco to U20 World Cup gold in Chile last year, his team beat France on penalties in the semi-finals.
France are playing their 10th World Cup quarter-final and chasing their third straight semi-final – something only Germany (twice) and Brazil have managed before. Les Bleus have swept everything ahead of them in North America: five straight wins and only two back-to-back goals. Didier Deschamps, who is retiring after the championship, is today making history – he equals Helmut Schön’s record for most World Cup games as a coach (25). He would like to mark the day by staying on course for a third world title.
INSIGHTS
- Ousmane Dembélé is playing his 17th World Cup match.
- Achraf Hakimi is playing his 16th World Cup match.
- Kylian Mbappé is playing his 20th World Cup match.
PRE-MATCH INSIGHTS
- K. Mbappé has scored in the last two games for France.
- There have been 3 or more goals scored in total in France’s last six home games.
- France have won their last seven home games in a row.
- Morocco have won 80% of their World Cup matches this season.
- K. Mbappé has scored in the last seven home games for France.
MATCH PREVIEW
France will continue their strong World Cup form when they face Morocco on Thursday at Boston Stadium in the quarter-finals.
France won their last World Cup match – 1-0 over Paraguay in the last eight on July 4. Kylian Mbappé scored the only goal. They have six straight wins in all competitions. This year, they have eight wins and one loss in nine games.
Morocco won their quarter-final 3-0 against Canada on July 4. Azzedine Ounahi scored two goals. They are unbeaten in 34 games in a row.
The last time the teams met, France won 2-0 in the 2022 World Cup semi-finals at Al Bayt Stadium. Théo Hernández scored in the 5th minute – Randal Kolo Muani added.
Mbappé has impressed at the World Cup with seven goals – joint top scorer in the tournament. Four of them have been the first goal of the match. Morocco have been led by Ismael Saibari with three goals – two of which were the opening goals.
Both teams have scored in all their World Cup matches so far – no one has kept a clean sheet against them.
France have won their last six games in all competitions – 17 goals scored, three conceded – and have scored first in all six. They had six first-half goals, while their opponents only scored once before halftime.
Morocco have won three and drawn three in their last six – 11 goals scored, five conceded – and scored first in four of six. They scored five goals in the first half, while their opponents scored three times before halftime.
Kylian Mbappé leads France’s attack in Foxborough tonight – looking to defeat African champions Morocco and secure a place in the semi-finals.
The match is a replay of the semi-final from Qatar four years ago – a match France won 2-0.
France are favourites – but Morocco can boast 34 games without defeat, a streak that includes a controversial AFCON gold in January.
Mbappé has seven goals in the tournament – the same as Erling Braut Haaland – and one behind Golden Boot leader Lionel Messi (eight).
World Cup 2026: Key figures – France vs Morocco
- The teams have met six times: four wins for France, two draws
- The 2022 semi-finals were their first competitive match – France won 2–0 (Hernández, Kolo Muani)
- France could become the third nation with three straight semi-finals – after Germany (4 straight 2002–2014 and 3 straight 1982–1990) and Brazil (3 straight 1994–2002)
- France are on a run of seven straight competitive wins – and have won 11 of their last 12 (one draw)
- The last time they won eight straight competitive matches: between September 2002 and June 2004 (14)
- Mbappé also has two assists and 12 chances created – only Michael Olise has more defence-breaking passes (9)
- Olise is the first player since Zico in 1978 with at least 10 dribbles (11), 10 chances in open play and 10 through passes in his debut World Cup
- African teams have twice gone unbeaten through their first five World Cup matches – both times Morocco (2022 and 2026)
- Since the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, Brahim Díaz has been directly involved in the most goals of any Moroccan (6 goals, 4 assists)
- Achraf Hakimi has created the most chances of any defender in the last two World Cup tournaments (21)
- Hakimi’s 15 chances this year are the most by an African defender in a single World Cup edition (since 1966)
