Match details
France
World CupWhy this tip?
I believe France have a better defensive foundation that could limit Morocco’s ability to launch counter attacks, and I am confident that they will be able to score at least two times before securing victory late in the second half after Morocco begin to press.
The sad thing about the knockout rounds is that in each match, one team must go home: Even if that means going to the penalties as a tie breaker. This will be a huge match for us Kenyans. Last world cup, Morocco had not conceded a goal until they met France. France had scored a goal against all teams they had faced through at their tournament. Will Morocco avenge the 2-nil defeat they faced in the semi finals?
- Competition: FIFA World Cup 2026
- Matchday: Quarter-finals
- Date: Thursday, July 9, 2026
- Kick-off time in EAT: 11:00 PM EAT
- Venue: Boston Stadium (Gillette Stadium), Foxborough, Massachusetts
Why this match matters
France come into this match off the back of a hard-fought win over Paraguay in the Round of 16 with a second half penalty goal from their star player Kylian Mbappe; it marked a fifth straight win in the current tournament. In contrast Morocco have continued to shock the football world in their progress through the competition. Their last outing was a well-deserved win over Canada in the Round of 16 and then defeated the Netherlands in the Round of 32 in an intense penalty shootout.
France vs Morocco head-to-head stats
Previous meetings
- France vs Morocco 2:0
- France vs Morocco 2:2
- Morocco vs France 1:5
- France vs Morocco 1:0
- Morocco vs France 2:2
Head-to-head record
In their last six meetings overall (including friendlies) France have won four of those, with the other two being drawn. The greatest encounter between the two nations still stands as the epic semi-final in Qatar at the 2022 World Cup. Early strikes ensured a 2-0 victory for Les Bleus and put paid to Morocco’s amazing fairytale story in what had turned out to be the best-ever performance by an African nation in the World Cup. It has been since then that Morocco has never beaten France in any senior competitive match. So it will now be down to the Atlas Lions to write themselves a new chapter against their eternal footballing nemesis.
France recent form
France’s last five matches
- France vs Paraguay 1:0
- France vs Sweden 3:0
- Norway vs France 1:4
- France vs Iraq 3:0
- France vs Senegal 3:1
Goals scored and conceded
France have netted no less than 14 goals in their five group-stage and knockout-round matches.
As a team they don’t appear to use just one route to create chances.
At the back France have been solid defensively too, having conceded just two goals throughout the entire tournament. Those were both conceded during the group stages. That indicates that Les Bleus go into this quarter-final on the back of three consecutive clean-sheets in the knockout rounds and that their defence appears to become more organised and cohesive as each game goes on.
Key trends from recent matches
All five of France’s matches in this tournament have resulted in a French win.
France rarely get flustered when matches are level.
Additionally, France have shown a number of times already in this tournament how they can grind out very low-scoring results against teams that sit deep with narrow defences, such as was evident again in their tight win over Paraguay. France prefer to hold onto a slender advantage by clogging up the middle of the park rather than chase goals and entertain supporters, especially for punters who may be interested in backing a low-scoring outcome.
Morocco recent form
Morocco’s last five matches
- Canada vs Morocco 0:3
- Netherlands vs Morocco 1:1
- Morocco vs Haiti 4:2
- Scotland vs Morocco 0:1
- Brazil vs Morocco 1:1
Goals scored and conceded
The Atlas Lions have found the back of the net in virtually every match they’ve played, including a thumping win over Haiti in their first Group Stage match and an equally convincing victory over Canada in the Round of 16.
On the flip-side Walid Regragui’s team have conceded four goals throughout their campaign but managed clean-sheets twice, proving that Moroccan defenders continue to be difficult to beat.
Key trends from recent matches
Similarly, the Atlas Lions have consistently begun each of their own matches with great enthusiasm, either aiming to score quickly or else harass top-class opponents to deny them possession space within central areas.
However, there seems to be a recurring theme to each of Morocco’s games whereby they tend to open-up considerably towards the latter part of each contest as exhaustion begins to creep-in due to their fast-paced pressing approach, ultimately resulting in dramatic finishes. As a result Morocco are interesting options for bets related to second-half goals and/or live-adjustments.
Team news
France team news
France have to rely almost exclusively on Kylian Mbappe, who will support the creativity of the unorthodox wide men in Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise. N’Golo Kante and Aurélien Tchouameni form a solid base in front of a well organized defense anchored by William Saliba.
Morocco team news
In terms of injuries/suspensions for Morocco, Ismail Saibari, who has scored 3 times in the competition so far, is struggling with a long-standing hamstring injury. Should Saibari miss the match through injury then his replacement in the team will be the physically imposing Rahimi.
Additionally, captain Achraf Hakimi along with other key defender Redouane Halhal and Issa Diop are each now only one yellow card away from a semi final ban.
Predicted lineups
France predicted XI
- France probable XI: Maignan, Koundé, Upamecano, Saliba, Digne, Koné, Rabiot, Dembélé, Olise, Barcola, Mbappé
Morocco predicted XI
- Morocco probable XI: Bounou, Hakimi, Diop, Riad, Mazraoui, El Aynaoui, Bouaddi, Diaz, Ounahi, El Khannouss, Rahimi
Best betting markets for France vs Morocco
- Bet Tip 1: France Win
With France being such strong favourites to win the match due to there impressive track record in major tournaments, vast amounts of talent at their disposal and perfect unbeaten run throughout this years edition; we feel that Didier Deschamps has built a machine that knows exactly what to do under the extreme pressure of playing in the knockouts.
- Bet Tip 2: Over / Under 2.5 Goals
As with most high-level knockout football, both teams tend to place greater emphasis on defensive solidity going into these types of fixtures and therefore tend to go extremely cagey in the first half of the match. We were impressed that France had no qualms about grinding out a tight 1-0 win over Paraguay.
- Bet Tip 3: Both Teams To Score (NO)
France have shown themselves to be incredibly solid defensively and have kept successive clean sheets in their last two knockout matches. They also possess the strength and athleticism to deal effectively with anything Morocco may attempt to do via set pieces. It seems highly possible that either or both of the teams involved here may struggle to get even one shot on target, let alone score.
- Bet Tip 4: Anytime Goal Scorer – Kylian Mbappé
Not only does he represent an excellent option if you wish to choose an individual market for your bets, but he is also the man who takes penalties for France and is their main attacking threat. He has pace that is difficult for opposing players to contain for 90 mins and a killer instinct in front of goal which makes him a near impossibility to keep quiet.
Where to bet on France vs Morocco
France vs Morocco prediction
Best bet
Taking everything into consideration, I think the safest bet is to go with France winning and scoring fewer than three goals.
Correct score prediction
France 2 – 0 Morocco
I believe France have a better defensive foundation that could limit Morocco’s ability to launch counter attacks, and I am confident that they will be able to score at least two times before securing victory late in the second half after Morocco begin to press.
Match analysis and verdict
Overall, I believe the best way to go is simply back France to win and a relatively low scoring affair.
I’m Kanyi Muturi and am from Tabuga, a small village in Nakuru. I have been following all sports since I was a kid and have been interested in the gambling side of sports since I was in high school. It took me a little while to get a grasp on all of the different gambling terminology and understand how confusing and complicated it can all seem when you first start.
Are you a professional gambler?
I am a successful gambler. But make no mistake about it: I’m a long-time recreational sports bettor. I’m not a professional gambler. I’m not claiming to be a professional gambler. I’ve never, to my recollection, even been acquainted with a professional gambler. And far be it from me to make the preposterous claim that following my advice will turn you into a professional gambler. It ain’t about that. Not here it ain’t. I just want to teach you a new form of recreation, a fun new pastime in what can sometimes be an unfun life.
