Morocco's Diaz ready to embrace the pressure against France

Brahim Diaz sees passes that others simply cannot. With four assists to his name already at the FIFA World Cup 2026, the Morocco playmaker has shone brightly so far, though his country’s quarter-final meeting with France on Thursday pits him against two players who can say the same and more. Lining up for Les Bleus will be Michael Olise on one flank – the player one ahead of Diaz atop the tournament's assist chart – and Kylian Mbappe, his Real Madrid teammate, on the other.

In Diaz’s case, his inventive spark has helped Ismael Saibari chalk up three goals at these finals though the Bayern Munich new boy is now ruled out through injury. Without him, Diaz and his team-mates will have to raise their level once more if they are to overcome the side that ended their dream run to the last four in Qatar four years ago.

“I always take responsibility,” Díaz said in the pre-match press conference, drawing on his experience gained at Madrid. “I thrive on pressure. These are the matches every player wants to be involved in and I’m ready. I feel confident ahead of tomorrow’s game and I know we’ll give it our best shot.”

That underlying confidence was echoed by coach Mohamed Ouahbi, who stressed that pragmatism would be crucial against an unbeaten France side. “Our team spirit is incredible,” he said. “I feel that’s what makes all the difference in difficult moments. I don’t think it’s just about experience. We’ve seen experienced sides get knocked out throughout the tournament. It’ll be such a positive atmosphere to play in.”

At Boston Stadium, which has been sold out for every fixture so far, the crowd will see Morocco’s 26-year-old creative fulcrum come up against two of his Madrid colleagues in midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, who is close to full fitness, and the red-hot Mbappe, who has already hit seven goals at the tournament. “They’re extraordinary players and wonderful people,” Diaz said. “Tomorrow, however, we’ll be opponents and we all want to win. That’s all that matters. I have faith in my team and I know we’re going to put in a great performance.”

Morocco will likely need big performances from key individuals if they are to engineer an upset. Vastly experienced goalkeeper Yassine Bounou was their penalty shoot-out hero against the Netherlands in the last-32, while Achraf Hakimi – Mbappe’s close friend – will once again be central to the Atlas Lions' hopes. “I can’t speak highly enough of him,” Diaz said of his captain. “He’s our skipper and the best right-back in the world.” It was Hakimi who encouraged Diaz to celebrate joyously with the Morocco supporters after the Round of 16 victory over Canada, in which the attacking midfielder registered two assists.

“My teammates make everything easier because we’re a tight-knit group,” Díaz said. “We’re coming up against one of the favourites tomorrow, but we’re here because we can compete with France and we’re among the contenders, too. We want to win tomorrow. We’ll give it everything we’ve got and perform to our best.”

Much may depend on Diaz’s ability to get on the ball and affect the play. Having accumulated a score of 7.02 for creativity in the FIFA Power Rankings, he has underlined throughout the tournament just how influential he can be. Asked whether another assist might be on the cards against France, however, the Morocco playmaker was quick to share the credit with his colleagues. This is a team effort and it will be again in Boston. Les Bleus have been warned.

Meanwhile, if there is one aspect of France’s game that has been universally praised since the start of the World Cup, it is their attacking play. With 14 goals in five outings – an average of almost three per match – Les Bleus are shining brightly in North America. The performances of Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele – both in the running for the adidas Golden Boot – along with Olise, the tournament’s top assist-provider, will be doubtless be receiving much scrutiny from rival coaches.

Yet coach Didier Deschamps believes there is still room for improvement from his forward line. That, at least, was his message on Wednesday at the pre-match press conference ahead of the Boston quarter-final against Morocco.

“We’re very efficient, but we could have been even more so,” said the France coach, who has at times lamented the chances his squad have failed to convert. “The further we go in the competition, the more important that becomes. To have 100% efficiency – that would certainly be ideal.”

These comments may come as a surprise given the impressive numbers posted by his strikers but they sum up perfectly the high standards Deschamps has maintained – and managed to instill in his players – during his 14 years at the helm of Les Bleus. Now, France’s longest-serving coach has, at best, three matches of his tenure left. When asked by a Moroccan journalist about the end of his reign, which could potentially come as early as Thursday evening, Deschamps responded with a touch of irony.

“It’s nice of you to think about that because I’m not thinking about it at all," he said. "The match against Paraguay could have been my last as well. I’m focused on this Moroccan team and, together with my coaching staff, our aim is to do everything we can to make sure things go well.” Translation: win and reach the semi-finals.

To do so against a dangerous Morocco, the 2018 world champions and 2022 runners-up can certainly count on players who appear remarkably fresh for this stage of the season. They cover plenty of ground and recover quickly and effectively, thanks to programmes tailored to each individual’s needs and carefully put together by fitness coach Cyril Moine, of whom Deschamps speaks very highly.

So far, this energy has enabled France to get through their knockout matches without the need for extra-time, unlike some of the other remaining contenders. Morocco, for instance, drew 1-1 with the Netherlands before prevailing 3-2 on penalties, while Argentina required extra-time to see off Cabo Verde in a 3-2 victory.

“In a competition like this, it’s important to be in good physical shape. The data we collect after our matches is good, very good even,” said the former Marseille coach. “We didn’t have much time to prepare before the World Cup and even less so with those involved in the Champions League. So I tailor each training session to the physical condition of each player and I don’t mind at all if someone misses one or two sessions if it means he’s in better shape by the third day.”

Under Deschamps’ steady hand, France will need their attacking firepower and physical freshness if they are to prevail on Thursday and advance to the semi-finals for the eighth time. They will be hoping to replicate their semi-final performance in Qatar four years ago when they beat Morocco 2-0 in the semi-finals. Indeed, Les Bleus are unbeaten in six previous meetings with the Atlas Lions and will start as favourites, though Deschamps knows such records offer no guarantees in knockout football.

“The higher you climb the mountain, the greater the challenge becomes,” he said. “Morocco aren’t here by accident. They’re among the very best teams in this tournament. It will be a clash between two nations who want the ball, look to attack and score goals.”