Wahbi settles on replacement for Bayern Munich striker... Deschamps prepares his weapons

The clash between France and Morocco renews in the World Cup, as they meet on Thursday evening in Boston in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup, a rematch of one of the most notable matches of the 2022 Qatar edition.

The two teams return to the clash four years after their famous semi-final encounter in the Qatar World Cup, which ended with France winning and qualifying for the final, in a match that remains fresh in Moroccan fans' memory, especially due to the refereeing controversy that accompanied it.

The French team enters the match with high morale after overcoming Paraguay in the round of 16 with a clean goal scored by Kylian Mbappé from a penalty kick, continuing its journey in the tournament as one of the top contenders for the title.

On the other hand, the Moroccan team hopes to continue its historic journey and reach the semi-finals for the second consecutive time, relying on a group of young players who have shown impressive performances since the start of the tournament.

The match is preceded by an atmosphere of controversy, as Moroccan media revived talk about the refereeing decisions in the two teams' encounter during the 2022 World Cup, concurrently with the appointment of an all-Argentine refereeing crew to officiate the match, both on the field and through the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology, a decision that sparked widespread debate before the match.

The match will also be an occasion for a special showdown between Kylian Mbappé and Achraf Hakimi, close friends and former Paris Saint-Germain teammates, each leading his national team as one of its top stars and on-field captain.

Fans expect a strong tactical battle, as France relies on speed and physical strength in offensive transitions, while Morocco possesses a midfield characterized by the ability to possess and control the tempo of the game.

Saibari excluded

For his part, Mohamed Wahbi, the Moroccan national team coach, confirmed in the press conference that Ismail Saibari, the team's top scorer, will not be present for the match against France due to lack of readiness.

He said: 'Everyone is present except Saibari, the match came early after his injury, and we have to choose players who are 100% ready. I hope Saibari will be with us for the remaining matches.'

Saibari was absent from the Atlas Lions' training session on Wednesday after his injury during the match against Canada, where he left the field in the 22nd minute for his teammate Sofiane Rahimi.

Below are the expected lineups for both teams in the match, according to the Spanish newspaper Marca.

Expected lineup for France

Goalkeeper: Mike Maignan.

Defence: Jules Koundé, Dayot Upamecano, William Saliba, Lucas Digne.

Midfield: Manu Koné, Adrien Rabiot, Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise, Bradley Barcola.

Attack: Kylian Mbappé.

Expected lineup for Morocco

Goalkeeper: Yassine Bounou.

Defence: Achraf Hakimi, Issa Diop, Chadi Riad, Noussair Mazraoui.

Midfield: Nael El Aynaoui, Azzedine Ounahi, Ayoub Boudadi, Ibrahim Diaz, Bilal El Khannous.

Attack: Sofiane Rahimi.