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Friendships, Revenge, History... France-Morocco: How They Meet Again

From Le Figaro · () French

Translated from French, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • France is set to face Morocco in the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup in Boston.
  • The match evokes memories of their previous encounter in the 2022 World Cup semifinals.
  • Kylian Mbappé and Achraf Hakimi, former PSG teammates and friends, will be on opposing sides.

France is preparing to face Morocco in a highly anticipated quarterfinal clash of the 2026 World Cup, scheduled for Thursday in Boston. This matchup brings back memories of their intense semifinal encounter at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The game will pit friends and former Paris Saint-Germain teammates Kylian Mbappé and Achraf Hakimi against each other. Mbappé had anticipated facing Hakimi shortly after France's own victory in their previous match, highlighting the personal connection between the two players.

In their 2022 World Cup semifinal, France secured a 2-0 victory over Morocco at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor. Kylian Mbappé was involved in both goals, including the early opener by Théo Hernandez. Despite the scoreline, Morocco, in their first-ever World Cup semifinal appearance, created several opportunities to equalize, demonstrating their competitive spirit.

The article also references other related content, including an analysis of France's performance against Paraguay and commentary from Julien Stéphan on the team's qualification.

DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Le Figaro in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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