France vs Morocco: A Look Back at Their World Cup Encounters and Rivalry
As the 2026 World Cup approaches, anticipation grows around the matchup between France and Morocco. Both nations bring unique stories to the tournament, making their upcoming meeting particularly compelling.
France enters the competition as a two-time World Cup champion. Their journey in 2026 centers on star talent like Kylian Mbappe, who has driven their pursuit of a third trophy. Meanwhile, Morocco has been turning heads with historic achievements, having reached the semifinals in 2022—the first African team to do so. Now back in the quarterfinals, Morocco once again faces France, setting the stage for another intense clash.
Past Encounters Between France and Morocco
The teams have met six times before, but only once during the World Cup, with just two meetings in the last 20 years. Out of these six matches, two were friendlies. This means that ahead of the 2026 quarterfinal, they have faced each other in four competitive games. Still, none matched the stakes of their upcoming encounter.
Their first meeting was at the 1988 Tournoi de France, where Les Bleus won 2-1. They also crossed paths in the King Hassan II Cup on several occasions. However, the rivalry gained more attention after their 2022 World Cup showdown.
Head-to-Head Record
In total, France holds the upper hand with four wins, while Morocco has claimed one victory, and one match ended in a draw. If you exclude the friendlies from 1999 and 2007, France still leads 3-1.
Only one World Cup match separates them to date, that being the 2022 semifinal where France secured a 2-0 win.
The Last Time They Met
The most recent contest came during the 2022 World Cup semifinals, a historic moment for Morocco as the first African nation to reach this stage. Despite their remarkable run, Morocco faced a strong France squad at Al Bayt Stadium.
France opened the scoring early through Theo Hernandez in the fifth minute, then sealed the victory with a late goal from Randal Kolo Muani in the 79th minute.
After that, France went on to lose the final to Argentina on penalties, while Morocco finished fourth after a loss to Croatia in the third-place match.
