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Rabat – France midfielder Adrien Rabiot has stirred debate after claiming that Les Bleus “didn’t have much to fear” from Morocco, following France’s 2-0 victory in the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarterfinal in Boston.
Goals from Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele secured France’s place in a third consecutive World Cup semifinal. Speaking after the match, Rabiot suggested that Morocco failed to pose a real threat on the pitch, despite the high stakes of the encounter.
France’s campaign has reflected both defensive solidity and attacking depth. With 16 goals, Les Bleus lead the tournament’s scoring charts, ahead of Argentina with 14. Their offensive strength has relied on a wide range of contributors. Dembele delivered a hat trick in the 4-1 win over Norway, Michael Olise impressed in a 3-0 victory against Sweden, while Desiré Doue proved decisive against Paraguay by winning the penalty that secured a 1-0 result.
“When we have the ball, we cause problems. The danger can come from anywhere,” said Didier Deschamps at a press conference.
Despite the result, Morocco showed resilience and discipline. Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou delivered an outstanding performance that kept the Atlas Lions in contention for much of the match, even as France controlled possession and tempo.
“My teammates did a great job during this World Cup,” Bounou said after the game.
“The new arrivals presented an amazing performance. The game today wasn’t easy; the opponent was much stronger than us. Now we should look forward and fix mistakes so we can continue our positive progress.”
“I told my players to keep their heads high because we gave our all, we gave our best, but, of course, we need to take stock of the situation, to progress, it’s essential,” Ouahbi told reporters.
Morocco left the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the first Arab and African nation to qualify for a second consecutive World Cup quarterfinals.
