France vs. Morocco: Three reasons why the Atlas Lions can exact revenge on France in the quarter-finals

France versus Morocco is astir surely the astir anticipated quarter-final of the 2026 World Cup.

On 1 side, a France squad wide regarded arsenic the strongest federation successful the tournament. On the other, a Morocco broadside who person impressed passim the contention and look to person definitively stepped up to a caller level.

Three years connected from the semi-final decision successful Qatar, the Atlas Lions person the accidental to settee that score. And determination are respective compelling reasons to judge successful the upset.

Morocco's relentless momentum nether Ouahbi

Since Mohamed Ouahbi took charge, Morocco person recovered a caller cogwheel entirely.

Still unbeaten nether the Belgian-Moroccan manager, the Atlas Lions person gone 10 matches without defeat, with 7 wins and 3 draws.

In a substance of months, Ouahbi has navigated the delicate task of succeeding Walid Regragui with awesome ease, preserving the foundations that made Morocco beardown portion stamping his ain individuality connected the team.

The 4-2-3-1 with Ismael Saibari — who is suspended for this fixture — arsenic a mendacious 9 has functioned superbly. Ayyoub Bouaddi has integrated with striking naturalness, Issa Diop has afloat redeemed himself pursuing past controversy, and respective newer faces including Karim El Mourabet and Gessime Yassine person adapted rapidly and made genuine impacts disconnected the bench.

Above all, Morocco are playing charismatic football. The Atlas Lions bask gathering from the back, rotating positions, attacking, but they person besides shown the capableness to excavation successful erstwhile required, arsenic they demonstrated against Canada.

The elimination of the Netherlands followed by a commanding 3-0 triumph against the Canadians sent a wide connection to the remainder of the tournament: this squad present plays similar a genuine rubric contender.

Morocco person considerably little to lose

This whitethorn beryllium their top advantage.

If the Atlas Lions fall, they volition exit with their heads held precocious against the tourney favourite. No 1 volition beryllium capable to telephone it a failure.

A victory, connected the different hand, would alteration the full communicative of their World Cup. Eliminating France would unfastened the doorway to thing extraordinary.

The value of anticipation rests firmly connected the French. Morocco tin play with freedom, unburdened by the unit that typically accompanies the large European nations astatine a tourney of this scale.

The heroes of 2022 are inactive here

This quarter-final volition inevitably disturbance memories.

Achraf Hakimi, Yassine Bounou, Noussair Mazraoui, Sofyan Amrabat and Azzedine Ounahi were each contiguous for that semi-final decision against France successful Qatar.

That acquisition is invaluable. They cognize what a fixture of this magnitude feels like, they cognize respective cardinal figures successful the French setup personally, and they besides cognize that they looked France successful the oculus for agelong stretches of that lucifer 3 years ago.

They instrumentality to this duel with greater maturity, an adjacent much cohesive corporate and the heavy condemnation that Morocco present belongs permanently among satellite football's elite nations.

This procreation nary longer needs to beryllium it tin vie with the best. On Thursday, it volition effort to beryllium that it tin bushed them too.