This has been a World Cup for the ages. After an electric Round of 16, we’re down to the quarterfinals, and only eight teams remain to claim the 2026 World Cup trophy. France and Morocco face off on Thursday in a rematch of the 2022 semifinals to kick off our quarterfinals action.

France currently sits as a -370 favorite to advance on the DraftKings Sportsbook. Morocco is the underdog at +285. Les Bleus have -170 odds to win in regulation, with Morocco at +500, and +285 odds that the two squads are level after 90 minutes. Let’s recap how these two teams got here, preview the matchup, and pick our winner.

France vs. Morocco Preview

Of all the teams in this World Cup, France has looked the strongest, and they’re the favorites to take it home for a reason. Les Bleus were one of three teams to win all three group stage games, along with Mexico and Argentina. They breezed past Sweden 3-0 in the Round of 32, one of two teams (along with Spain) to win by 3+ goals in what was otherwise a surprisingly competitive knockout round. But things got much testier in the Round of 16.

France came into their match with Paraguay as overwhelming favorites. The pesky CONMEBOL side had upset Germany in a penalty shootout, but all assumed the magic would run out against the French. And yet, they went into halftime scoreless, and it took until the 70th minute for the French to break through, on a penalty kick no less. Despite the gulf in possession time and shot attempts, it was the first real test for the French during this World Cup.

The last remaining African side in the 2026 field, Morocco are looking to shock the world once more. In 2022, a string of upsets got them all the way to the semifinals, the first African squad to reach the final four. The run was ended by France, who scored in the fifth minute and never looked back, winning 2-0. Now is the chance for the Atlas Lions to have their revenge, and given their form in this World Cup, it’s not out of the question.

Morocco opened their World Cup campaign on strong footing, negotiating a draw with an equally talented Brazilian team. From there, they won their next two group stage matches against Scotland and Haiti to secure second place in the group. The Round of 32 pitted them against the Netherlands, another matchup of equals, and that required penalty kicks to settle the affair. But the battle-tested Moroccans persevered, finding themselves facing a Canadian team riding high off a first-ever knockout stage win. Despite losing the possession battle, Morocco was lethal on the counter, winning by a 3-0 margin despite an injury to lead scorer Ismael Saibari in the 22nd minute. It all lined up perfectly for a grudge match with the French.

France vs. Morocco Prediction, Pick

If the Moroccans want to pull the upset here, it’s going to take quite the defensive effort. Issa Diop and Redouane Halhal, the two starting center backs, were awfully impressive against Canada. But facing Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise, and Ousmane Dembélé is a different beast entirely. Achraf Hakimi and Noussair Mazraoui, who are used to being attack-forward wide backs, will have to buckle down and defend. A heavy burden in particular is placed on Ayyoub Bouaddi; the 18-year-old defensive midfielder is going to spend a lot of time trying to contain Olise, the tournament leader in assists. But if they can stay home and execute on the counter attack the way they executed against Canada, the Lions have a shot.

France’s goal is to keep things the same. They’ve kept clean sheets in three of five games, and have not trailed at any point in this World Cup. The back line is strong, their midfield keeps the pace extremely well, and nobody boasts a better attacking group than Les Bleus. Mbappé is in peak goal-scoring form, and nobody has been better at finding key passes than Michael Olise. It’s ridiculous that Dembélé, the reigning Ballon d’Or winner, is the third most important attacking player on this team. If those three along with Bradley Barcola can keep their form going, it’s entirely possible that France romps to victory.

Unfortunately for the Moroccans, history is bound to repeat itself here. I don’t see their attack being potent enough to break this French line, especially if Saibari’s injury lingers. Mbappé and co. have made much better defenses look amateur. Full-on blowouts are rare, but this will be a convincing win to send the French to the semifinals for a third straight World Cup.

Best Bet: France 90-minute Moneyline + Over 1.5 Total Goals SGP (-105)