France v Morocco: 2026 World Cup Prediction

France and Morocco will face each other on Thursday 9 July at 10.00 pm in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup. The French struggled to see off Paraguay (1–0) in the round of 16, whilst Morocco impressed with a convincing 3–0 victory over hosts Canada. This sets up a repeat of the 2022 World Cup semi-final, which France won 2–0 on that occasion. Which team will take the next step towards the world title? Here is our France v Morocco prediction.

Betting at Oranje Palace

Are you new to Oranje Palace? Then you can immediately take advantage of an attractive welcome offer of 3 x €14 Free Bets. You’ll receive a Pre-match Free Bet, a Live Free Bet and a Bet Builder Free Bet, so you can start betting straight away on the many matches during the 2026 World Cup.

Lucky Substitution also offers extra peace of mind during the tournament. Suppose you bet on Ousmane Dembélé having more than 1.5 shots on target, but the right winger is substituted early on without scoring. If substitute Desire Doué comes on and does manage to have two shots on target, that will still count towards your bet. A handy feature during the World Cup, where national team managers regularly bring on fresh attackers and a single substitution can make all the difference.

France v Morocco preview

The quarter-final between France and Morocco promises to be a thrilling contest. France have been among the world’s very best for years, whilst Morocco have continued their impressive World Cup run in fine style. Following their comfortable victory over Canada, the Atlas Lions are set to face Les Bleus once again – the side that secured their place in the last eight at Paraguay’s expense. Which team will secure a place in the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup?

Current Form & Team News

France

France are in excellent form and have yet to drop a point at the 2026 World Cup. Les Bleus finished the group stage with victories over Senegal (3–1), Iraq (3–0) and Norway (4–1). In the knockout stages, they went on to beat Sweden (3–0) and Paraguay (1–0). The team has been particularly impressive defensively, conceding just two goals in five matches, whilst world-class star Kylian Mbappé, with seven goals to his name, is proving that he now ranks alongside the likes of Messi. Can he add another goal to his already impressive tournament tally in this crucial match?

Morocco

Morocco is once again one of the surprise packages of the 2026 World Cup. The North Africans finished second in their group behind Brazil and then knocked out the Netherlands after a nail-biting penalty shoot-out. In the round of 16, they produced their most convincing performance of the tournament with a 3-0 victory over Canada. Head coach Walid Regragui’s side are brimming with confidence and are thoroughly enjoying the form of the in-form Azzedine Ounahi, but will nevertheless be concerned about Ismaël Saibari’s injury. The Moroccan striker has picked up a hamstring injury and will miss the match against France. Will his replacement rise to the occasion once again?

Head-to-Head

France and Morocco have faced each other six times before. Les Bleus have won four of those encounters, whilst two matches ended in a draw. Morocco are therefore still waiting for their first victory over France.

Their most recent meeting was the semi-final of the 2022 World Cup. France won 2–0 thanks to goals from Theo Hernández and Randal Kolo Muani, securing their place in the final.

Predicted line-ups

France (4-2-3-1):

Maignan, Koundé, Upamecano, Saliba, Digne, Koné, Rabiot, Dembélé, Olise, Barcola, Mbappé

Morocco (4-3-3):

Bounou, Hakimi, Diop, Riad, Mazraoui, El Aynaoui, Ounahi, El Khannouss, Díaz, Talbi, Rahimi

France v Morocco betting tips

Betting tip 1: Under 2.5 goals

In a quarter-final, there is a lot at stake, which often results in a tight match. France won their round of 16 tie against Paraguay by just 1-0, whilst Morocco once again looked solid at the back. The Atlas Lions knocked the Netherlands out on penalties and then comfortably kept Canada at bay. We therefore expect a tactical battle with few clear-cut chances. So, not too many goals. At Oranje Palace, you can back ‘under 2.5 goals’ at odds of 1.78.

Betting tip 2: Kylian Mbappé to have more than 2.5 shots on target

Kylian Mbappé is once again the standout player for France. Against Paraguay, he scored the only goal from the penalty spot, bringing his career World Cup tally to nineteen goals. The French captain is involved in virtually every dangerous attack and remains the favourite to find the net against Morocco. This is one of the reasons why we expect the Real Madrid star to have a large number of shots on target once again. Betting on Kylian Mbappé to score more than 2.5 goals gives you odds of 2.63.

Prediction: France v Morocco

Final score: France 2–0 Morocco
Both nations have impressed so far, but France look just that little bit more complete over the course of the tournament. Les Bleus have more experience on this stage and boast world-class players in every position. Morocco will undoubtedly give the French a tough time, though we believe that individual quality will ultimately make the difference in what promises to be a thrilling quarter-final. We predict that Didier Deschamps’ side will beat Morocco 2-1.