Riyadh, 24 Muharram 1448 AH, corresponding to July 9, 2026, SPA — As the anticipated match between Morocco and France in the quarterfinal of the 2026 World Cup, hosted by North America, approaches, football fans around the world recall through the tournament's history the most prominent encounters that have been repeated between the same two teams in consecutive editions, and whether the outcome brought revenge for the loser or confirmation of the winner's superiority. This match, which will kick off in hours, brings to mind the encounter between the two teams (Morocco and France) in the semifinal of the 2022 World Cup, won by the French 2-0, making this matchup one of the phenomena that have occurred multiple times in World Cup history: the renewal of a meeting between the same two teams in consecutive editions of the tournament, carrying memories, unsettled scores, and a desire to write a new chapter of competition. However, history confirms that the second encounter does not always go the same way; in some cases, the team that lost the first match succeeds in avenging its defeat, while in others, the winner manages to cement its superiority and prove that its previous victory was no fluke. In the 1974 West Germany edition, Johan Cruyff's total football Netherlands thrashed Argentina 4-0 in the second round, but lost the final to the hosts. Despite that, they returned strongly in the 1978 Argentina edition and reached the final for the second consecutive time, where they faced the hosts. With the score tied 1-1, the Netherlands was centimeters away from snatching victory when Rob Rensenbrink's shot hit the post in the last minute of regular time. In extra time, Mario Kempes and Daniel Bertoni scored two goals, giving Argentina a 3-1 win and their first world title. The 1986 final in Mexico is one of the most famous matches in World Cup history, as Diego Maradona led Argentina to their second world title by beating West Germany 3-2. Argentina took a two-goal lead before the Germans fought back to level, but Maradona's magical pass to Jorge Burruchaga decided the final in Argentina's favor. Just four years later, the two teams met again in the 1990 Italy final, the first time the same two teams faced off in consecutive finals. This time, the match was completely different, as Germany delivered a more balanced performance and capitalized on a penalty converted by Andreas Brehme five minutes from time to win 1-0, avenging their 1986 loss and claiming their third world title. The 1998 World Cup round of 16 witnessed one of the most exciting matches, as the two teams drew 2-2 before Argentina advanced on penalties. However, the most notable event was the red card received by David Beckham after a clash with Diego Simeone, making him the most criticized player in England. Four years later, the two teams met again in the group stage of the 2002 World Cup. In the 44th minute, England earned a penalty, which Beckham himself stepped up to take, scoring the only goal of the match and achieving perfect revenge. That victory later led to Argentina's failure to advance from the group stage. In the 2010 South Africa final, Andrés Iniesta decided the historic match with a goal in the 116th minute, leading Spain to their first world title, while the Netherlands left the final with new disappointment. But fate gave the Dutch a chance to respond quickly; in the opening match of both teams in the 2014 Brazil edition, they met again, and all eyes were on whether the Netherlands could overcome the memories of the final. Despite Spain taking the lead through Xabi Alonso, the Dutch response was thunderous: Robin van Persie scored his legendary header, and Arjen Robben added two goals, giving the Netherlands a 5-1 victory, which allowed the Dutch to somewhat alleviate the disappointment of 2010. Also in the 2010 South Africa edition, specifically in the quarterfinal match, Germany put on a terrifying attacking display, crushing Diego Maradona's Argentina 4-0, one of the worst defeats for the Argentine team in knockout stages. Four years later in the 2014 Brazil World Cup, the tournament gave Argentina a new chance for revenge, this time in the final. Despite Argentine hopes of settling the score led by Lionel Messi, the German machine had the last word at the Maracanã. In the 113th minute, Mario Götze scored a historic goal that gave Germany the World Cup title and cemented their superiority over Argentina for the second consecutive time. Morocco also successfully experienced a revenge scenario against Portugal. In Russia 2018, Morocco played a great match against Portugal but lost to an early goal by Cristiano Ronaldo, despite dominating long periods and missing many chances. Four years later, the historic revenge opportunity came in the quarterfinal of the 2022 Qatar edition. There, the Moroccan team responded with great confidence after eliminating Spain, and Youssef En-Nesyri scored the only goal of the match, before Walid Regragui's men withstood Portuguese pressure until the final whistle, achieving a historic feat by reaching the semifinals for the first time in their history. // End // 22:23 t.m. 0206