France vs Morocco World Cup Quarterfinal: Deschamps Makes Change, Doue Starts Ahead of Barcola
France coach Didier Deschamps opted for a tactical change in the World Cup quarterfinal against Morocco on Thursday (July 9, 2026), starting attacking midfielder Desire Doue while leaving Bradley Barcola on the bench. The match is a rematch of the 2022 World Cup semifinal, which France won 2-0.
Apart from Barcola, the France starting 11 is unchanged from their 1-0 round of 16 victory over Paraguay. Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele lead the attack, supported by Michael Olise. Doue slots into the midfield to provide creativity.
Morocco are without key forward Ismael Saibari, who was injured in their previous match. Coach Mohamed Ouahbi brought in defender Anass Salah Eddine and midfielder Chemsdine Talbi, with Brahim Diaz operating as a lone striker. The Moroccan team aims to replicate their historic 2022 run when they became the first African team to reach the semifinals.
The winner of this quarterfinal will face either Spain or Belgium in the last four. Both teams have shown strong form, with Spain defeating Croatia and Belgium overcoming Portugal in the round of 16.
