Kuwait holds a unique World Cup record as the first Arab opponent of France

France secured a spot in the 2026 World Cup quarter-finals after a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Paraguay in Philadelphia. Captain Kylian Mbappé converted a penalty in the 70th minute, following a VAR review, to seal the win for "Les Bleus." This decisive goal was Mbappé's seventh of the tournament, drawing him level with Lionel Messi at the top of the scoring charts. The strike also marked a significant milestone for France, as it was their 150th goal in World Cup history.

The upcoming quarter-final against Morocco will be the sixth time France has faced an Arab nation in the World Cup. Their previous encounters highlight a pattern of these matches serving as stepping stones in France's tournament progression. These include a 4-1 group stage win against Kuwait in 1982, where Bernard Genghini, Michel Platini, Didier Six, and Maxime Bossis scored for France, and Abdullah Al-Baloushi netted for Kuwait. France went on to finish fourth in that tournament.

During their victorious 1998 campaign, France opened with a 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia, with goals from Thierry Henry, Bixente Lizarazu, and David Trezeguet. That match also saw a red card for Zinedine Zidane and Saudi defender Mohammed Al-Khilaiwi. In the 2022 World Cup, France faced two Arab teams: Tunisia, who defeated them 1-0 in a group match, and Morocco, whom France eliminated 2-0 in the semi-finals. France also secured a 3-0 victory against Iraq in the current edition's group stage.