France and Morocco were locked at 0:0 at halftime in their World Cup quarterfinal, leaving Didier Deschamps 45 minutes from another semifinal and Morocco 45 minutes from another upset. France had controlled the tournament to this point, but the match was still there to be taken.
That is why this game is being searched right now. France have won all five of their matches at the 2026 World Cup, scored 13 goals and turned only one round-of-16 test against Paraguay into a real problem before Kiliana Mbappe converted the penalty that sent them through. Morocco, meanwhile, came in with a 10-match unbeaten run after the Africa Cup of Nations final earlier in the year, and it had already beaten the Netherlands on penalties and Canada 3:0 to reach the quarterfinal.
The numbers explain why France remain the side to beat. Mbappe has seven goals at this World Cup, level with Erling Haaland on the scoring chart, and Usman Dembele, Michael Olise and Bradli Barkola have kept creating chances around him. France have also stretched their winning run to seven matches in all official competitions and are now 11 wins and one draw in their last 12. If they finish the job, they will reach the World Cup semifinals for a third straight time, a mark that would sit alongside the 2018 title and the runner-up finish in 2022.
Morocco has already shown why that history does not settle anything. It became the first African team to go unbeaten in each of its first five World Cup matches in two consecutive tournaments, and its semifinal in 2022 ended with a 0:2 loss to France. That earlier meeting still hangs over this one, but it does not guarantee a repeat.
For Deschamps, the stakes are personal as well as national. This is his last tournament as France coach, and the team he has built now has one half left to keep its title chase and his farewell alive. The next 45 minutes will decide whether France keeps moving toward a third crown or whether Morocco turns another doubtful script into another chapter of its own.
