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France Faces Morocco in 2026 World Cup Quarterfinal Thursday in Foxborough

France enter the match unbeaten through six games, while Morocco's star striker Ismael Saibari is uncertain to play due to a hamstring injury.

Indian National Men's soccer team at 1948 London olympics. (From Left to right)Back row− Dhanraj(wearing boots),Mahabir Prasad, S.A.Baseer, S.Nandi, K.V.Varadaraj (wearing boots), Varghese Papen(wearing boots), Coach Balaidas Chatterjee. Front Row− Sahu Mewalal, Ahmed Khan, Captain Talimeren Ao, S.R
Indian National Men's soccer team at 1948 London …      France National Football Team 2026    The Hindu / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
By Free News Press Editorial Team
Published July 8, 2026 at 1:50 PM PDT

France and Morocco meet Thursday at 4 p.m. ET in Foxborough in the first quarterfinal of the 2026 World Cup, with France entering as heavy favorites after winning all six of their matches in the tournament.

According to CBS Sports, Les Bleus have scored 17 goals through six games, averaging 2.8 per match. They swept through the group stage against Senegal, Iraq, and Norway, then beat Sweden 3-0 in the Round of 32 before edging Paraguay 1-0 in the Round of 16. Morocco also advanced impressively, though the Atlas Lions face uncertainty heading into the quarterfinal with star striker Ismael Saibari listed as doubtful with a hamstring injury.

The latest odds from FanDuel Sportsbook have France at -180 on the 90-minute money line and Morocco at +550, with a draw priced at +280. France are -420 to advance overall, with Morocco at +310. The over/under for total goals sits at 2.5.

Soccer analyst Martin Green, writing for SportsLine, is leaning toward the over. France have scored at least three goals in all five of their World Cup matches. Morocco have kept only two clean sheets in five games but have shown offensive capability of their own, scoring 10 total goals in the tournament, including three against Canada in the Round of 32.

"Both teams have the quality to get on the scoresheet, and this quarterfinal has the makings of a high-scoring affair," Green told SportsLine.

Green has been one of the more accurate forecasters during this World Cup run, posting an 18-7 record on World Cup picks. He also went 18-8 over his last 26 UEFA Champions League picks earlier in 2026.

The winner of Thursday's match will advance to the semifinal.

Talimeren Ao on the left, leading the Indian team to Cricklefield Stadium to play against France, on 31st July 1948. 8 players out of 11 played barefoot but 3 players wore boots though the weather was dry.
Talimeren Ao on the left, leading the Indian team…      France National Football Team 2026    Unknown authorUnknown author / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)