France never doubted they would go through despite Kylian Mbappe missing a penalty and having wasted several chances in the first half in their World Cup quarter-final clash against Morocco, coach Didier Deschamps said on Thursday.

FIFA's handling of two World Cup red-card cases came under renewed scrutiny on Thursday after England defender Jarell Quansah got a two-match suspension while U.S. striker Folarin Balogun avoided an immediate ban for a similar challenge.

A disappointed Morocco said they had hoped to progress past the World Cup quarterfinals, but had to accept they lost to a better team as France eliminated them 2-0 in Thursday's tie.

Kylian Mbappe recovered from having a first-half penalty saved to score a magnificent opener that set France on their way to a 2-0 win over Morocco in their World Cup quarterfinal showdown today.

The 25-year-old is carrying the hopes of a nation but the young striker appears to be enjoying every second of it, with the scale of the obsession being difficult to miss.

The winners of the tie will face either Spain or Belgium in the semi-finals.

From staying awake through the night in Dhaka to standing on the touchline with a camera in hand, a Bangladeshi photographer reflects on covering football's greatest stage.

The former England star had cheekily said in an interview that he would row in Merseyside if Norway made the quarterfinals of the World Cup.

Despite facing tougher tests than expected while navigating a rather easier route compared to others during their World Cup campaign, including a hard-fought qualification against Egypt, Argentina have retained one of the defining traits of Lionel Scaloni's tenure -- control through possession.

FIFA refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina defended the officiating in Argentina's 3-2 victory over Egypt in the World Cup round of 16, dismissing allegations of bias and saying match officials operated with complete independence.

A chance for revenge, compelling man-to-man duels, and a battle between attacking fluency and tactical composure -- all are set to unfold at Boston Stadium when tournament favourites France take on a Moroccan side that have steadily established themselves as one of world football's genuine powerhouses.

With the FIFA World Cup quarterfinals set to get underway tonight, the disciplinary records of the eight remaining teams have revealed a striking contrast, with England emerging as the tournament's most heavily sanctioned side while Norway have picked up the fewest cards.

England's Morgan Rogers backed Harry Kane to come out on top when he faces Norway's Erling Haaland in an enticing battle between the World Cup sharpshooters on Sunday.

France have dethroned defending champions Argentina to reclaim top spot in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking ahead of the quarterfinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.

Morocco will not be wasting time on premature praise for their World Cup run ahead of their quarter-final against France, with any stock-taking to be done at the end of the competition, coach Mohamed Ouahbi said on Thursday.

Argentina returned to the training ground on Thursday with renewed confidence after their dramatic comeback victory over Egypt in the Round of 16, as Lionel Scaloni's side shifted focus to Sunday's FIFA World Cup 2026 quarterfinal against Switzerland [7am, Bangladesh Time].

Morocco was under French protectorate from 1912 to 1956. The two countries have remained closely connected through education, business and migration, while football has become one of the clearest expressions of those ties.

"Everyone is 100 percent fit except Saibari. This game comes too soon for him but I hope he is not out for the rest of the competition," Ouahbi told reporters ahead of Thursday's last-eight showdown at the Gillette Stadium near Boston.

Mbappe may command the cameras, but the tactical blueprint of this quarterfinal will be drawn in the dirt by Olise and Bouaddi.

As for France’s appeal to have Michael Olise’s yellow card against Paraguay rescinded, Deschamps said FIFA had informed them that the caution would stand.