​FOXBOROUGH — Ousmane Dembélé surely has memories of this venue. The France star, 29, lit up Massachusettss when the national team last played here, delivering a first-half hat trick to propel a decisive victory over Norway in the group stage. He and Kylian Mbappé are back, and France is set to face Morocco in an elimination showdown in the World Cup quarterfinals at Gillette Stadium, a venue FIFA designates as Boston Stadium for the event. The match is scheduled for Thursday, July 9, at 4 p.m. Eastern Time, broadcast on FOX.
France entered the knockout stage as one of the tournament favorites and narrowly advanced past Paraguay in the Round of 16 with a 1-0 win on Mbappé’s 70th-minute strike. That goal marked Mbappé’s 19th World Cup tally, and his seventh of this tournament, helping France extend its perfect record in one-goal matches to 1-0-0 across five matches (5-0-0 overall). Morocco, in contrast, defeated the Netherlands on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the Round of 16 and then rolled past Canada 3-0, thanks in part to two goals from Azzedine Ounahi, to reach this point. This marks Morocco’s second consecutive quarterfinal appearance, having reached the semifinals for the first time in 2022.
The exterior of Gillette Stadium is adorned with 2026 FIFA World Cup branding, with the 64,000-seat facility being listed as Boston Stadium during FIFA competition. Located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, roughly 30 miles southwest of Boston, the stadium sits about 25 miles northeast of Providence, Rhode Island. It is the home field for NFL’s New England Patriots and MLS’s New England Revolution, boasting a capacity of 64,628, which includes 92 luxury suites and more than 5,000 club seats. It is smaller than several other venues hosting World Cup matches, such as MetLife Stadium in New Jersey (82,500) and the large-scale arenas in Mexico City.
For English-language coverage of the World Cup, FOX and Fox Sports One hold exclusive broadcast rights, with streams available through Fubo and Hulu + Live TV. Fubo offers a free trial for fans seeking a no-cost option to watch the games. Schedule notes leading up to the quarterfinal include: France 3, Senegal 1 (Group I) on June 16; France 3, Iraq 0 (Group I) on June 22; France 4, Norway 1 (Group I) on June 26; France 3, Sweden 0 (Round of 32) on June 30; France 1, Paraguay 0 (Round of 16) on July 4; and the upcoming France vs. Morocco quarterfinal on July 9. This match promises a high-stakes clash between two talented teams, with Dembélé and Mbappé aiming to lead France toward another deep run in the tournament.