The Field Clashes with France and Morocco’s Memorable Past and Present

Last Thursday, France and Morocco played each other at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Boston. This match, the quarterfinals, was not only seen as an important one for the competition game, but also a symbol of their countries’ history.

From 1912 to 1956, Morocco was a protectorate of France. Then, in the 1960s and 1970s, many people started emigrating from Morocco and cross the Mediterranean Sea to France. Now, about 1.5 million people of Moroccan descent live in France, most of whom are Muslim. In the midst of finding their new identity, many far-right groups and other nationalists questioned the immigrants’ ‘Frenchness.’

In the 2022 World Cup semifinals against France, Morocco lost 2-0. The excitement over the rematch between the Atlas Lions of Morocco and Les Bleus of France was incomparable. The city of Paris said that it would allow restaurants and bars to keep their outdoor terraces open until 2 a.m. for people watching World Cup games. Many French Moroccans felt the a double sense of pride at the success of their two native lands.

After the loss in 2022, clashes in Paris led to multiple arrests. Morocco lost 2-0 to France during the quarterfinals last week and, contrary to videos posted online, Moroccan fans did not riot in the streets of Paris.

A French Moroccan Professor of International Relations at the University of Salamanca in Spain, Yassine El Yattioui, said, “Franco-Moroccans…say to themselves, ‘Look at our homeland, France — it’s a great soccer nation, a country that keeps winning titles and putting on great tournaments,’ whereas now Morocco is the underdog that has become a powerhouse.”

Six members of the Moroccan team were born in France, six from Spain, three each from the Netherlands and Belgium, one from Canada, and only six born in Morocco.

Laurent Dubois, a Professor of History at the University of Virginia and the author of “Soccer Empire: The World Cup and the Future of France” said, “There’s a way in which this game is France versus France…So many of the Moroccan team members grew up in France, on the outskirts of Paris.”

The French team includes three players that were born abroad and many others with roots in African countries like Algeria, Mali, Senegal, and Cameroon. A founder of the far-right party the National Front, Jean-Marie Le Pen, said it was “artificial to bring in players from abroad and call them the French national team,” even though all but one player of that team had been born in France.

A daughter of Mr. Le Pen, Marine Le Pen, a candidate for a far-right president was recently in a disagreement with the captain and star striker of the French team, Kylian Mbappe. This was after he warned people of the dangers that could take place if the far-right took control of France.

After France defeated Paraguay on July 4th, Celester Amarilla, a member of Paraguay’s Senate, posted a racist rant against Mbappe, saying that he was a “colonized Cameroonian, desperately trying to ⁠pass himself off as French.”

Mbappe responded by saying Ms. Amarilla was a “despicable woman” and is “unworthy” of her position. He also said that she was not a good representation of her country, which had worked hard with “passion and honor” throughout the whole competition, just like many others had.

Sources: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/09/world/europe/france-morocco-world-cup-soccer.html