#世界杯冠军预测 World Cup Quarterfinal – France vs. Morocco: Four-Year Revenge Battle

The first quarterfinal in the upper half of the bracket becomes a replay of the 2022 Qatar World Cup semifinal. The Atlas Lions, driven by a desire for revenge, face the runner-up from the previous tournament.

Four years ago, France defeated Morocco 2–0 in the semifinal, preventing Morocco from advancing further despite their best-ever World Cup performance by an African team. Now, Morocco has gradually grown into a world-class powerhouse: they drew with Brazil in the group stage and eliminated the Netherlands on penalties in the Round of 16. Stars like Achraf Hakimi, Díaz, and Ounahi are solid at both ends; Bounou guards the goal with the same top-tier saves as in the last World Cup, and a 34-match unbeaten run attests to the team's resilience.

Both teams are brimming with talent, and the matchups between many club teammates add a unique flavor. French captain Kylian Mbappé and Moroccan captain Achraf Hakimi were close buddies when they played together at Paris Saint-Germain. In the last two seasons, Hakimi, along with French stars Dembélé, Doué, and Barcola—his PSG teammates—won back-to-back Champions League titles. Now, Mbappé, Tchouaméni, and Díaz share the Real Madrid dressing room.

French captain Kylian Mbappé will face his friend Achraf Hakimi.

There are no secrets between France and Morocco; they know each other's running habits on the pitch, making the tactical battle intensely targeted. France has the edge in overall quality: Mbappé has scored 7 goals and provided 2 assists this World Cup, leading the scoring charts; Dembélé and Olise provide continuous attacking thrust from the wings; Tchouaméni and Rabiot form a balanced midfield; and the bench is stacked with world-class attackers, giving France an unrivaled advantage in rotation during long, grueling matches.

France vs. Morocco has the potential to become an open, attacking game. However, in their previous match, Morocco's main scorer, Sebari—who recently moved to Bayern Munich—was substituted due to injury. Whether he can recover in time for this game will have a major impact on Morocco's lineup.