France plays Morocco in World Cup quarterfinal

France and Morocco open the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals on Thursday in Boston, with kickoff set for 4 p.m. ET at Boston Stadium, according to FIFA and tournament schedule listings from ESPN and NBC Sports. The match is the first of the tournament’s four quarterfinals and sends the winner into a July 14 semifinal in Dallas against the winner of Spain-Belgium. FIFA’s match page lists Facundo Tello as referee for the game, while the governing body’s preview says the tie is a rematch of the 2022 World Cup semifinal won by France. FIFA said France is chasing a place in a third straight World Cup final, while Morocco is seeking another deep run after eliminating Canada in the round of 16. ### Where and when is France-Morocco being played? (fifa.com) Boston Stadium is the listed venue for Thursday’s quarterfinal, and FIFA says kickoff is 16:00 local time in Boston, 22:00 in Paris and 21:00 in Rabat. NBC Sports’ schedule page lists the same match as the first quarterfinal and places it at 4 p.m. ET on July 9. ESPN’s live match page also lists France vs. (fifa.com) Morocco for July 9, with live score and match coverage available through its tournament hub. FIFA’s scores-and-fixtures page says broadcaster information is available by territory through its match listings. ### How did France and Morocco reach the quarterfinals? France reached the last eight after a 1-0 win over Paraguay in the round of 16, according to NBC Sports’ knockout schedule. (fifa.com) Morocco advanced with a 3-0 victory over Canada on July 4, setting up Thursday’s meeting with France. (espn.com) FIFA’s preview frames the game as another meeting between the teams after Qatar 2022, when France beat Morocco in the semifinals. FIFA also published separate features on each team’s route to the quarterfinals on its match center page. ### Who would the winner face next? FIFA’s tournament schedule shows the France-Morocco winner will meet the winner of Spain vs. (nbcsports.com) Belgium in semifinal Match 101 on Tuesday, July 14, at AT&T Stadium in Dallas. NBC Sports lists that semifinal for 3 p.m. ET. The other side of the bracket has Norway against England and Argentina against Switzerland, with those quarterfinals set for July 11, according to FIFA and NBC Sports. (fifa.com) ### What is the latest discipline news elsewhere in the bracket? FIFA suspended England defender Jarell Quansah for two matches after his red card in England’s 3-2 round-of-16 win over Mexico, ESPN and other outlets reported Thursday. (nbcsports.com) ESPN said the sanction goes beyond the automatic one-match suspension and means Quansah will also miss the semifinal if England beats Norway. FIFA’s report on England’s win over Mexico said Quansah was sent off after the last-16 match turned “incident-packed,” and England still advanced to face Norway in the quarterfinals. NBC Sports’ schedule page lists that game for Saturday in Miami. ### Where can viewers follow the game and the bracket? (espn.com) FIFA says its official match center carries lineups, live updates and post-match material for France-Morocco, while ESPN has a dedicated live score page for the quarterfinal. NBC Sports’ tournament schedule page lists the full quarterfinal, semifinal and final slate. Thursday’s result will send one team to Dallas for the semifinal on July 14, and FIFA’s master schedule shows the tournament then moves to the third-place match in Miami on July 18 and the final at MetLife Stadium on July 19. (fifa.com) (nbcsports.com) (espn.com)