Morocco's national football team has commenced preparations in Boston, Massachusetts, for their FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final clash against reigning champions France. The Moroccan squad held their first training session in the city on July 7, as confirmed by the team's official social media account.
Training Session Underway
The Official Account of the Morocco National Football Team shared images on X, captioning them: "First training session in Boston ahead of the Quarter-finals." The session marks a critical step as Morocco aims to continue its historic run in the tournament.
Historic Achievement Against Canada
Morocco reached the quarter-finals by defeating co-hosts Canada 3-0 in a physical Round of 16 match. This victory made Morocco the first African nation to reach the last eight in two different World Cup editions. The match saw eight yellow cards and 38 fouls, the most disciplinary action in any game of the tournament so far.
Azzedine Ounahi scored twice, becoming the first Moroccan player to net a brace in a World Cup match since 1998. Soufiane Rahimi added a third goal late in the game. Achraf Hakimi registered his third World Cup assist among defenders since 1966, while Brahim Diaz set a record as the African player with the most World Cup assists, tallying four.
Morocco's Unbeaten Run
The win extended Morocco's unbeaten streak to 10 matches and highlighted their strong knockout-stage performance in major tournaments. For Canada, the loss marked a disappointing end to their first-ever World Cup knockout appearance.
France's Path to Quarterfinal
France, the 2018 champions, secured their quarterfinal spot with a 1-0 victory over Paraguay. Kylian Mbappe converted a second-half penalty to decide the match. Notably, the first half of that game had no shots on target from either side, making it only the third World Cup knockout match since 1966 to reach halftime without a single effort on goal.
The upcoming quarterfinal promises a tough challenge for Morocco as they face a French side known for its depth and experience.
