Who will Morocco play in semifinals of World Cup bracket?

4 p.m. update: France beat England 2-1 in their quarterfinal and will advance to face Morocco. The two sides faced off most recently in 2007 when they played to a draw in an international friendly. They’ve met seven times dating back to 1975, but this is their first World Cup match.

Morocco has made history at the 2022 World Cup. The Atlas Lions beat Portugal on Saturday in the quarterfinals and have now advanced further than any African nation in World Cup history. Morocco took a 1-0 lead on a Youssef En Nesyri goal in the 42nd minute and withstood a late barrage after losing Walid Cheddira to a second yellow card and playing the final six minutes a man down.

Morocco will advance to a semifinal matchup against the winner of Saturday’s England-France match. Once the semifinal match is set, they will face off on Wednesday, December 14 at Al Bayt Stadium. It will kick off at 2 p.m. ET and air on FOX.

This marks the first time any country from Africa has advanced past the quarterfinals. The 1990 Cameron squad, the 2002 Senegal squad, and the 2010 Ghana squad all reached the quarterfinals before losing. This is only the second time Morocco has reached the knockout stage, with their other appearance a loss in the Round of 16 in 1986.

Morocco has one win in international competition against France and none against England. They are 0-2-5 against France, playing them to a draw in the 1987 Mediterranean Games and a 2007 international friendly. This will be their first time meeting in the World Cup. Morocco is 0-1-1 in two matches against England, with the draw coming in group play in the 1986 World Cup. Coincidentally, Morocco beat Portugal in group play in that tournament.