How the national teams of France and Morocco will play at the 2026 World Cup: forecast and analysis of the match on July 9
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- How the national teams of France and Morocco will play at the 2026 World Cup: forecast and analysis of the match on July 9
The France—Morocco quarterfinal at the 2026 World Cup is not just a match between two strong national teams, but a repeat of the Qatar 2022 semifinal. The French came to the game in Boston after a hard—fought 1-0 victory over Paraguay, and Morocco after a confident 3-0 victory over Canada. France remains one of the most striking attacking teams of the tournament, but Morocco is no longer perceived as a sensation.: He is a stable and tactically mature contender who has reached this stage for the second World Cup in a row. How Ashraf Hakimi will play, what is the role of Kylian Mbappe in the match and what will be the pattern of the game — in the material of Izvestia.
France survived the "dirty war" against Paraguay
The match between France and Paraguay turned out to be as viscous and unpleasant as possible for the favorite. The French had possession of the ball 66% of the time, scored 15 shots against five, took 12 corners and made 587 passes against the opponent's 191, but won only 1-0 thanks to Mbappe's penalty in the 70th minute.
France led the match through control almost all the time, but Paraguay responded with a low block, constant martial arts and what the English-language reports after the game called "dark arts" and "cheap stuff" — minor fouls, provocations, time delays and a constant breakdown in tempo. At the same time, Paraguay did not receive a single yellow card, which only increased the outrage of the fans from this meeting.
After the final whistle, Mbappe emphasized exactly that. According to him, France initially understood what kind of match awaits it, and showed that it can not only play beautifully, but also respond to cruelty. He also said that France knows how to "get their hands dirty", knows how to play "ugly, power" football and was not going to go out against Paraguay "in tuxedos".
This reaction is important not only as an emotion of the star, but also as a diagnosis of the match: France passed not at the expense of fireworks, but at the expense of composure, discipline and willingness to win an uncomfortable, evil game. Didier Deschamps' team showed a "different face" in this meeting, and its defensive line calmly withstood the opponent's physical pressure.
Morocco beat Canada in the class
Morocco, on the contrary, scored a much more convincing victory, although the game against Canada was not easy either. The final 3:0 hides an important detail. Before the break, Canada pressed aggressively, created pressure and could have been the first to open the scoring. But after a break, Azzedin Ounahi scored in the 50th and 82nd minutes, and Sufyan Rahimi finished off the opponent in stoppage time.
At the same time, statistically, Morocco was very economical: five shots, four on target and three goals. Canada had 10 shots, 11 corners and quite a lot of pressure in the final third, but Mohamed Wahbi's team managed their key episodes better. It was a victory for a mature team that knows how to survive a difficult period, and then sharply punish the opponent for mistakes in the structure.
After this match, Wahby said that his national team was no longer a surprise. He stressed that it was important for the team not to take revenge on France for 2022, but to go as far as possible and confirm that Morocco's eventual passage to the playoffs was no longer an accident. This is an important remark before the quarterfinals, because the current Morocco really lives not at the expense of romantic flair, but at the expense of stability. The team is no longer a "dark horse", but a full-fledged contender for high places at the World Cup, able to compete with the strongest teams.
How can they play with each other
The meeting between Morocco and France will almost certainly be based on the issue of pace. If Deschamps' team imposes a match with long positional attacks, regular entry into the penalty area through the flanks and a constant load on the Moroccan defense, its advantage in individual quality will begin to affect. Paraguay has already shown that France can be slowed down by rudeness and rhythm disruption, but the same match also showed something else: Deschamps' team now knows how to survive in such conditions without losing their composure.
But Morocco also has a clear path to the semi-finals. He doesn't need to take the match entirely for himself, he needs to make the game narrow, dense and cut—off, block the central corridors for passes to Mbappe and Olis, and then use his best mechanisms - Hakimi's jerks, Ounahi's advance, Braim Diaz's offsets and quick lunges after selection.
Morocco looks most dangerous not in chaos, but in the alternation of defensive phases and point accelerations. Based on the recent matches of both teams, the most likely scenario is one in which France will have more possession of the ball and hit more often, while Morocco will wait for the opponent to overload, catch the space behind their backs and cling to every structural failure.
Therefore, this is more of a match for one or two key episodes than a game based on a scattering of moments. France currently has a slight advantage in terms of composition, depth and attacking potential, but if Morocco holds the game at least until the middle of the second half, it will be an almost equal quarterfinal.
France is approaching the quarterfinals as a team that can both tear and endure. Morocco is like a team that has learned not to be an episodic miracle, but a constant force. Therefore, their meeting should be not so much spectacular in the literal sense, but very intense tactically. France will test Morocco's compactness with quality and width, and Morocco will test France for patience, structure and the ability not to open up in pursuit of the first goal.
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