World Cup quarterfinals begin France vs Morocco

France and Morocco open the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals on Thursday, pushing the tournament into its final eight after a day without matches on Wednesday. FIFA’s match center lists the quarterfinal at Boston Stadium on July 9 with a 20:00 local kickoff, while Yahoo Sports’ U.S. schedule lists the game at 4 p.m. Eastern. Eight teams remain in the tournament, and the quarterfinal round will run across three days, from July 9 to July 11. ### Why does France-Morocco go first? Thursday, July 9, is the first day of quarterfinal play on FIFA’s official schedule, and France against Morocco is the first match listed for the round. Yahoo Sports reported there were no World Cup games on Wednesday before the quarterfinals began. (fifa.com) Boston Stadium is the venue for the opener, according to FIFA’s match page. FIFA’s listing also names Facundo Tello as referee and Darío Herrera as fourth official for the match. ### Which teams are still alive in the bracket? Yahoo Sports listed France, Morocco, Belgium, Spain, Norway, England, defending champion Argentina and Switzerland as the eight teams left in the tournament. (sports.yahoo.com) That leaves four quarterfinal pairings to decide the semifinal field. (fifa.com) FIFA’s tournament schedule says the 2026 World Cup has 104 matches across Canada, Mexico and the United States, with the knockout rounds now narrowed to the last eight. ESPN’s fixtures page also tracks the bracket at the quarterfinal stage. (sports.yahoo.com) ### What does the official listing say about the match itself? FIFA’s match center identifies the game as quarterfinal Match 97 and places it in Boston on July 9. The same page links to team-specific coverage of France’s and Morocco’s routes to the quarterfinals. FIFA’s related coverage also frames the game as a rematch of the teams’ meeting at the 2022 World Cup, with one article on the match page headlined “Morocco out to avenge 2022 heartbreak against France.” That reference appears in FIFA’s pre-match package rather than as a standalone result line. (fifa.com) ### Where can viewers check kickoff times and local TV details? (fifa.com) FIFA’s scores-and-fixtures page says match times are shown in the user’s local time and includes a territory selector for where to watch. That matters because kickoff windows vary by country even when the match is fixed on the tournament calendar. (fifa.com) Yahoo Sports’ daily schedule presents the quarterfinal slate in U.S. Eastern time and lists France vs. Morocco at 4 p.m. on Thursday. Readers outside the United States would need FIFA’s territory-specific listings for broadcasters and local start times. (fifa.com) ### What comes after Thursday’s opener? FIFA’s master schedule says the quarterfinals continue through July 11. Yahoo Sports’ quarterfinal update says the full last-eight round spans four matches across July 9 to July 11 before the field is cut to four semifinalists. (sports.yahoo.com) FIFA’s fixtures page remains the central schedule reference for the next step, with live scores and match pages updating as each quarterfinal is played. The tournament then moves from the last eight to the semifinals, with Thursday’s France-Morocco winner advancing deeper into the bracket. (fifa.com 1) (fifa.com 2)