​It’s one of the juiciest behind‑the‑scenes stories of this World Cup. Coco Fernandez, a Boston barber who used to cut the hair of NBA stars, suddenly found himself becoming Les Bleus’ barber after receiving a mysterious WhatsApp message from an unknown number: “Can you cut KM’s hair tonight at 9:30 p.m.?” Once he realized that “KM” stood for Kylian Mbappé, Fernandez made his way to the France team hotel, where he encountered the team captain alongside Ousmane Dembélé and Marcus Thuram for a fresh trim. The welcome was immediate, and the rapport was instant. So much so that Mbappé later recommended his new barber to his friend Achraf Hakimi. Since then, Coco Fernandez has also been trimming the hair of Moroccan national team players, offering fades to both squads. And don’t ask him for predictions about tonight’s quarter-final; he’s not in the guessing business, he’s in the hair business.
The France squad is basking in a wonderful summer-camp atmosphere that seems to have taken up residence at the tournament. Even Michael Olise is cracking a few smiles, which says a lot about the mood around the camp. Since the Knysna fiasco in 2010, the France team has forged a new path, reaching a fourth straight World Cup quarter-final. Meanwhile, Brazil, eliminated by Norway in the round of 16, ends an extraordinary run of eight consecutive quarter-finals that stretches back to the 1994 World Cup. On the other side of the debate, Morocco has etched its name into history as the first African nation to reach the quarter-finals in two consecutive World Cups, a milestone that underscores the rising strength and consistency of African football on the world stage.
As fans anticipate the upcoming World Cup quarter-finals, a nostalgic look back invites us to recall one of the sport’s most memorable fixtures at this stage: Brazil versus the Netherlands in the 1994 edition. The quarter-final schedule for the current tournament features France versus Morocco at 10:00 p.m., to be broadcast on beIN SPORTS 1 and M6. This piece began as a translation into English, with the original French version available for readers who prefer the source language.
Note: This article has been translated by Artificial Intelligence. For readers who want the original language reference, you can find the French version here. The rewrite aims to optimize readability and SEO while maintaining the essence of the story and its wider context.