France and Morocco set for World Cup quarter-final rematch as Saibari ruled out

Build-up to the quarter-final

France reached the last eight after a hard-fought 1-0 win over Paraguay in the round of 16, while Morocco swept aside Canada 3-0. The match is a rematch of the 2022 semi-final, which France won, and pits the reigning world champions against a Morocco side that has cemented its place among the elite.

Saibari absence

Morocco will be without their leading scorer Ismael Saibari, who has three goals in the tournament. The forward suffered a hamstring injury during the victory over Canada and has been ruled out of the quarter-final.

We can hurt any team.

Coach Ouahbi's confidence

Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi struck a defiant tone on the eve of the match, insisting his team is not satisfied with merely reaching the last eight. He pointed to the squad's progress since their historic semi-final run in 2022 and their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations triumph on home soil, even if that final was decided on a technicality after crowd trouble.

Mbappé's leadership

Kylian Mbappé has scored seven goals so far in the tournament, taking his international tally to 63 in 103 appearances. The France captain has adopted a more altruistic approach, focusing on lifting the entire team rather than individual accolades, as he chases a third World Cup star for Les Bleus.

It's a very good team. They are sixth in the world rankings. They have progressed since 2022.

Morocco's rise

Morocco's current FIFA ranking of sixth reflects a sustained upward trajectory. After becoming the first African nation to reach a World Cup semi-final in 2022, they won the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, albeit in controversial circumstances, and have now reached back-to-back World Cup quarter-finals.