France and Morocco run it back Thursday in Foxborough, Massachusetts, and this time there's a World Cup semifinal berth on the line rather than one already secured. The two nations met in the 2022 semifinal in Qatar , when France won 2-0 to end Morocco's historic run. Four years later, it's a quarterfinal rematch, kicking off at 4 p.m. ET at Gillette Stadium. The winner advances to face Spain or Belgium in the semifinal in Dallas on July 14. Here's a full breakdown of both rosters heading into kickoff.
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Didier Deschamps announced his 26-man roster on May 14, built around captain Kylian Mbappé, who enters the quarterfinal as France's all-time leading scorer and just one goal shy of Lionel Messi 's career World Cup record.
Mike Maignan ( AC Milan ) â France's undisputed No. 1 goalkeeper, known for shot-stopping and composed distribution from the back.
Brice Samba ( Rennes ) â Steady backup with Ligue 1 experience, providing depth behind Maignan.
Robin Risser (Lens) â Uncapped 21-year-old making the tournament as an untested third-choice option.
Dayot Upamecano ( Bayern Munich ) â Athletic center back valued for recovery speed and aerial strength.
William Saliba ( Arsenal ) â Composed, ball-playing center back regarded as one of the best young defenders in the world.
Lucas Digne ( Aston Villa ) â Left-back option with Premier League experience and reliable set-piece delivery.
Theo Hernandez (Al-Hilal) â Attacking left back known for pace and forward runs down the flank.
Lucas Hernandez ( PSG ) â Versatile defender who can play center back or left back, adding depth to the back line.
Ibrahima Konaté( Liverpool ) â Tall, dominant center back who forms a formidable partnership at the heart of defense.
Jules Koundé( Barcelona ) â Versatile defender capable of playing right back or center back with pace and technical ability.
Malo Gusto ( Chelsea ) â Young right back known for his energy and defensive discipline.
Maxence Lacroix ( Crystal Palace ) â Center back who impressed in recent camps to earn his squad spot.
N'Golo Kantéâ Veteran defensive midfielder renowned for his work rate, interceptions, and title-winning pedigree.
Adrien Rabiot (AC Milan) â Box-to-box midfielder with technical skill and leadership experience for Les Bleus.
Manu Koné(Roma) â Energetic midfielder who adds ball-winning ability in the middle of the park.
Aurélien Tchouaméni( Real Madrid ) â Physical, wide-ranging midfielder and regular starter, currently managing an adductor issue.
Warren Zaïre-Emery(PSG) â Young, dynamic midfielder with strong passing range and stamina.
Maghnes Akliouche ( Monaco ) â Creative attacking option who provides width and unpredictability.
Kylian Mbappé(Real Madrid, captain) â France's captain and record scorer, among the fastest and most clinical forwards in the world.
Ousmane Dembélé(PSG) â Reigning Ballon d'Or winner known for dribbling and pace from the wing.
Michael Olise (Bayern Munich) â Skillful winger with vision and end product from wide areas.
Désiré Doué(PSG) â Young attacking talent who broke through during PSG's recent Champions League run.
Bradley Barcola (PSG) â Quick, direct winger who adds another attacking outlet for Les Bleus.
Rayan Cherki ( Manchester City ) â Creative attacking midfielder with flair and a knack for the unexpected.
Marcus Thuram ( Inter Milan ) â Powerful forward with strong hold-up play and finishing.
Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace) â Target man who returns to the squad after scoring twice in qualifying.
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Mohamed Ouahbi, who took over in March after Walid Regragui's departure, revealed his 26-man squad on May 26 . Morocco arrived as reigning Africa Cup of Nations champions and have backed it up, reaching the quarterfinals for a second straight tournament .
Yassine Bounou (Al-Hilal) â Experienced No. 1 and hero of Morocco's 2022 run, known for penalty-shootout heroics.
Munir El Kajoui (RS Berkane) â Veteran backup goalkeeper providing depth behind Bounou.
Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti (Raja Casablanca) â Domestic option rounding out the goalkeeping corps.
Achraf Hakimi (PSG, captain) â Morocco's captain and one of the best right backs in the world, combining pace with attacking output.
Noussair Mazraoui ( Manchester United ) â Versatile fullback capable of playing on either side of defense.
Anass Salah-Eddine (Twente) â Left-back option adding depth to Ouahbi's back line.
Youssef Belammari â Defender providing squad depth in North America.
Marwane Saadane(Al-Fateh) â Added to the squad as a late injury replacement.
Zakaria El Ouahdi â Depth defender among Ouahbi's 26 selections.
Chadi Riad (Crystal Palace) â Center back valued for his composure on the ball.
Redouane Halhal â Defensive depth option for Morocco's back line.
Issa Diop â Experienced center back adding stability to the defense.
Sofyan Amrabat ( Real Betis ) â Tenacious box-to-box midfielder known for his energy and ball recoveries.
Ayyoub Bouaddi ( Lille ) â 18-year-old midfielder who impressed in his World Cup debut against Brazil .
Chemsdine Talbi ( Sunderland ) â Pacey wide midfielder providing width and directness.
Azzedine Ounahi ( Girona ) â Breakout performer of the knockout rounds after scoring twice against Canada .
Ismael Saibari (PSV Eindhoven) â Regular starter through the group stage, currently sidelined by a hamstring injury.
Samir El Mourabet ( Strasbourg ) â Midfield depth option in Ouahbi's rotation.
Gessime Yassine(Strasbourg) â Young midfielder rounding out Morocco's options in the middle of the park.
Bilal El Khannouss ( VfB Stuttgart ) â Creative midfielder with an eye for a pass.
Neil El Aynaoui (Roma) â Box-to-box option adding depth in midfield.
Soufiane Rahimi (Al-Ain) â Prolific scorer known for his movement and finishing in the box.
Brahim Diaz (Real Madrid) â Creative attacker who chose Morocco over Spain and was the top scorer at the recent Africa Cup of Nations.
Amine Sbai( Angers ) â Injury replacement forward who earned a late squad call-up.
Ayoub El Kaabi (Olympiacos) â Experienced target man and aerial threat up front.
Ayoube Amaimouni( Eintracht Frankfurt ) â Young forward adding depth to Ouahbi's attacking options.
France holds the head-to-head edge from 2022 and arrives with more attacking depth on paper, but Morocco has already shown it can knock out a favorite when the stakes are highest. Whoever wins Thursday moves one step closer to Dallas.
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