RABAT / Anadolu

Disappointment prevailed among the Moroccan public late Thursday evening after their football team lost to its French counterpart in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup.

According to an Anadolu correspondent, the atmosphere mixed sadness with disappointment as soon as the match ended, especially in the designated viewing areas, after the French team won 2-0.

Despite exiting the World Cup, Moroccan fans in separate conversations with Anadolu praised their national team for reaching this advanced stage and for being the only Arab and African country to achieve this result.

Citizen Mohamed Tassouli considered that "the team played a good match, but the strength of the French team made the match in their favor despite the coach's attempt to change the game plan."

Tassouli added that France is the top favorite to win the cup, expressing his hopes for better luck for his country's team in future tournaments.

As for Hind Kadari, she said that despite the team's loss, the fans are proud of their performance, and called for accepting defeat like victory within the spirit of sportsmanship.

For his part, Osman Abdel Samie pointed out that the fans suffered great disappointment due to this loss.

He stated that Moroccans were expecting the team to go far in this tournament, "but there are big question marks about the lineup that played this match."

Before and during the match, the streets of Moroccan cities were empty of passersby, as all eyes were fixed on the match.

The French team ended the Moroccan team's hopes of reaching the semifinals this time, four years after defeating them by the same score of 2-0 in the semifinals of the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

The United States, Canada, and Mexico are hosting the 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup from June 11 to July 19, with 48 teams participating.

On June 17, 2026, FIFA announced that the Moroccan national team rose to sixth place worldwide in the latest ranking, for the first time in its history.

France tops the international ranking, followed by Argentina, Spain, England, and Brazil.