Before the anticipated Morocco vs. France match in the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup, FIFA highlighted three previous matches that marked significant milestones in the history of both teams, paving the way for exciting football clashes between them. This new confrontation in Boston will not be the first of its kind; it will be the seventh historically and the second at the World Cup finals after their meeting in the semifinals of the Qatar 2022 edition.
The first notable encounter was the one that brought the two teams together in the Under-20 World Cup semifinal in Chile in 2025. At that time, the Moroccan team, led by coach Mohamed Wahbi, managed to eliminate France in a penalty shootout 5-4, after the regular time ended in a 1-1 draw. This victory was not just a passing win but a turning point that led the “Atlas Lions” to their first-ever global youth title, before Wahbi later took over as coach of the senior national team.
Another pivotal moment was the 2022 World Cup semifinal in Qatar, described as the most important in the history of Moroccan football at that time. The “Atlas Lions” had reached the final four after a historic run where they eliminated Spain and Portugal. Despite Morocco’s heroic performance, France managed to decide the match with two goals scored by Theo Hernandez and Randal Kolo Muani, advancing to the final, which they eventually lost to Argentina, while Morocco settled for fourth place after losing to Croatia in the third-place playoff.
The third encounter was a friendly match between the two teams in Casablanca on May 29, 1998, as part of their preparations for the France World Cup. The match ended in a 2-2 draw in regular time, before Morocco won the match on penalties 6-5. This match featured the brilliance of player Salah Eddine Basir, who scored both goals for the “Atlas Lions,” and this victory remains the only one for Morocco against France at the senior level, even if it came through penalties.
