World Cup Daily: France and Morocco Contest First Quarterfinal

It’s a repeat of the 2022 World Cup semifinal that France won 2-0.

⚽ World Cup Daily: Day 29 France and Morocco meet in a World Cup knockout game again. | FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images It’s getting serious now, folks. The quarterfinals stage. And kicking us off are France and Morocco who met in the semifinals four years ago in Qatar. Les Bleus won that one, but Morocco has proven its credentials and should push Kylian Mbappé and friends all the way. It promises to be a cracker. Supercomputer has predicted the quarterfinal winners (and the overall victor), as have the experts here at Sports Illustrated. USMNT fans will look on enviously, wondering what might have been, especially had Christian Pulisic delivered what was expected. More widely, we’ve graded the entire USMNT roster’s performance at this World Cup.  WORLD CUP NEWS    Recommended by  Kylian Mbappé will hope to be among the goals again. | Erick W. Rasco/ Sports Illustrated TODAY’S MATCH France vs. Morocco— Boston, 4 p.m. ET - Fox VISIT OUR WORLD CUP FAN ZONE  Much responsibility rests on Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi. | Andrew J. Clark/ISI Photos/ISI Photos/Getty Images SEE FULL SCHEDULE AND STANDINGS  ⚽ Biggest World Cup Stories Elsa/Getty Images Supercomputer Predicts 2026 World Cup Winner Ahead of Quarterfinals READ MORE  John Todd/ISI Photos/Getty Images Four USMNT Stars Who Have Earned Big Transfers During World Cup Run READ MORE Hannah Peters/FIFA/Getty Images Ranking the Five Best Goals at the 2026 World Cup So Far READ MORE Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images The 11 Most Controversial Refereeing Decisions at the 2026 World Cup—Ranked READ MORE ⚽ Away from the World Cup Visionhaus/Getty Images What Man Utd’s Santos ‘Agreement’ Means for Ongoing Midfield Rebuild READ MORE MI News/NurPhoto/Getty Images Why Guimaraes’s Arsenal Transfer Stance Is Unlikely to Get Deal Done READ MORE Get the print edition of Sports Illustrated delivered to your door. Click to subscribe! 📽 World Cup Today: SI FC Show Join the SI FC crew in New York City as they discuss the biggest World Cup talking points.  ⚽ The Great 48 The 2026 World Cup will be bigger than ever, thanks to an expanded field that will bring 48 teams (split into a dozen groups of four) to the festivities. With the help of an artist connected to each nation who was asked to capture the spirit of the game in their homeland, we’ve got what you need to know about all of the competitors. CHECK OUT ALL 48 WORLD CUP COVERS Join SI The Post-Up A weekly spotlight on the biggest stories and in-depth reporting of women’s basketball—from compelling athlete features to sharp commentary on the latest news and scores. CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE 💬 Chat with us ... Join the conversation. Share your thoughts, story ideas and feedback with us at newsletters@si.com We may receive compensation for some links to products and services included in this email. Sports Publishing Solutions Inc. 625 Broadway, 10th floor New York, NY. 10012 You are receiving this email because you are subscribed to the SI FC newsletter. You can unsubscribe here . Privacy Policy – Terms & Conditions © 2026 Sports Publishing Solutions Inc. All rights reserved. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ABG-SI LLC. All betting and gambling content included in the SI FC newsletter is intended for individuals 21+ (18+ in DC, KY, NH, RI, and WY). Betting and gambling content, including picks and predictions, are based on individual commentators' opinions and we do not guarantee any success or profits. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER or texting 800GAM. Click this link to view the newsletter in your browser.