Facundo Raul Tello Figueroa: France's pursuit of a third successive FIFA World Cup semifinal faces a stern challenge when they meet Morocco in the quarterfinals at Gillette Stadium on Thursday, with both sides eyeing a place among the tournament's final four.
The fixture rekindles memories of their meeting at the 2022 World Cup, where France ended Morocco's historic run with a 2-0 victory before progressing to the final. Four years on, however, the North African side arrives as a more mature and confident outfit, no longer viewed as underdogs but as genuine contenders capable of unsettling any opponent.
France have been one of the standout teams of the tournament despite a testing round-of-16 encounter against Paraguay. A hard-fought contest was ultimately settled by Kylian Mbappé's penalty, with the captain once again proving decisive after a match that demanded resilience as much as attacking quality.
