​It’s fair to say Adrien Rabiot carried a sense of confidence into France’s 2026 World Cup quarter-final against Morocco on Thursday. The two teams had previously met in the 2022 tournament, where France advanced to the semi-finals with a 2-0 victory, a result that was mirrored in Boston on Thursday. Although he missed a first-half penalty, captain Kylian Mbappé found the net after the break with a beautifully curved shot, and Ousmane Dembélé added a second goal just six minutes later. That strike effectively sealed the win as Morocco were unable to respond, marking their exit from the competition. The Atlas Lions struggled to threaten for long stretches, and injuries, notably to Ismaïl Saïbari, contributed to what many described as an underwhelming performance from the North African side.
Following the match, Rabiot spoke to BeIn Sports about the occupants of the field during the game, noting that when France did not have the ball, Morocco did not pose a significant danger. “We felt that, in the moments when we didn’t have the ball, they weren’t very dangerous,” he said after the 2-0 victory that sent Les Bleus into a third consecutive World Cup semi-final. The AC Milan midfielder added that while the result was a shock, Morocco remains a team capable of decisive moments thanks to their exceptional individual talents, insisting that it is essential to stay vigilant at all times. “It’s a shock. But they are still a team that, at any moment, can make the difference because they have extraordinary individuals. That’s why you always have to stay vigilant.”