France-Morocco: A rematch of the 2022 World Cup semifinal looms in 2026

France and Morocco are scheduled to meet in the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup on July 9, marking a significant rematch of their historic semifinal clash in the 2022 tournament held in Qatar.

On December 14, 2022, in Al Khor, Morocco, known as the Atlas Lions, played a landmark match, becoming the first African nation ever to reach a World Cup semifinal. Despite their impressive run, which saw them eliminate Spain and Portugal in earlier rounds, France ultimately prevented their historic journey from extending to the final, winning the match 2-0.

In the 2022 encounter, France took an early lead in the fifth minute. Antoine Griezmann's pass found Kylian Mbappé, whose initial attempts were blocked before the ball fell to Théo Hernández. Hernández scored with an acrobatic finish past goalkeeper Yassine "Bono" Bounou. Morocco subsequently dominated possession, holding 61% of the ball and pressing Hugo Lloris's goal in search of an equalizer that never materialized.

France secured their victory with a late goal from Randal Kolo Muani, who had only been on the field for 44 seconds as a last-minute replacement for Christopher Nkunku. Kolo Muani capitalized on a rebound from an Mbappé play to score the decisive second goal. France eventually lost to Argentina in the final on penalties. The upcoming match between France and Morocco will be officiated by an all-Argentine refereeing team. Both teams have remained undefeated in the 2026 World Cup thus far, with one set to be eliminated.