From Round of 32 to the Quarter-Finals
Morocco's route to the Quarter-Finals is already one of the stories of the knockout rounds. Cody Gakpo had the Netherlands ahead in the 72nd minute of their Round of 32 tie, only for Issa Diop to snatch an equaliser in the depths of stoppage time and send the match to penalties. What followed was pure theatre: Achraf Hakimi, the team's biggest star, missed his kick — and it didn't matter, because Ismael Saibari, Morocco's player of the tournament so far, buried the decisive spot-kick to send the Dutch home 3–2 on penalties. If that was survival, the Round of 16 against Canada was a statement. Azzedine Ounahi scored twice either side of a Soufiane Rahimi injury-time finish, and Morocco won 3–0 without ever looking like they needed the drama this time.
Regragui's Read, and How the Squad Responded
Walid Regragui has repeatedly invoked the spirit of Morocco's 2022 semi-final run, and this squad has visibly absorbed that belief — nothing rattles them, not even a missed penalty from their most famous player in a knockout shootout. That Hakimi came back four days later and was central to the manner in which Morocco dismantled Canada tells you everything about the character in this dressing room; teammates have spoken openly about rallying around him rather than letting the miss linger. Tactically, Regragui's men do their damage the same way every time: a 4–3–3 that collapses into a back three in possession, Hakimi bombing forward from right-back, and a midfield press set up to win the ball high and hurt teams before they can reorganise. Saibari continues to be the constant thread — a goal or a match-defining contribution in almost every match Morocco have played this tournament, and by now that is not a coincidence, it's a pattern.
Quarter-Final Opponent: France
France arrive as favourites, and with good reason — Kylian Mbappé is closing in on the all-time World Cup knockout scoring record, and Les Bleus haven't lost a match all summer. But their Round of 16 win over Paraguay, a 1–0 squeezed out via a single penalty, showed that this France side can be made to look distinctly ordinary by a team willing to defend with real discipline and patience. That is precisely the template Morocco should be studying: Paraguay frustrated France for 69 minutes doing very little else, and Morocco's counter-press, plus Hakimi's delivery from wide areas, gives them a more varied route to hurt France than Paraguay ever had. The risk for Morocco is fatigue and emotional expenditure — two of the most draining knockout occasions possible inside four days is a lot to carry into a third. Prediction: France 2–1 Morocco. A tight, physical, low-block battle that could go either way, but Mbappé and Dembélé's quality edges it late. Even in defeat, this would be the best World Cup Morocco have ever played.
