France face Morocco at Al Bayt Stadium on Wednesday in the FIFA 2022 World Cup semifinals with history on the line for both sides. The Atlas Lions are already the first African and Arab nation to reach their stage while Les Bleus could reach back-to-back finals after their 2018 victory in Russia. The Moroccans have overcome Spain and Portugal to get here while the French saw off Poland and then England. Our pundits are favoring Didier Deschamps' defending champions.
Golazo Starting XI Newsletter
Get your Soccer Fix from Around the Globe
Your ultimate guide to the Beautiful Game as our experts take you beyond the pitch and around the globe with news that matters.
Thanks for signing up!
Keep an eye on your inbox.
Sorry!
There was an error processing your subscription.
Craving more World Cup coverage? Listen below and follow House of Champions, a daily CBS Sports soccer podcast, bringing you top-notch analysis, commentary, picks and more during the big games in Qatar.
How to watch France vs. Morocco
- Date: Wednesday, Dec. 14 | Time: 2 p.m. ET
- Location: Al Bayt Stadium -- Al Khor, Qatar
- TV: Fox and Telemundo | Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
When the World Cup ends and Champions League action resumes, you'll be able to catch all the action on Paramount+. Use offer code ALLYEAR now to get 50% off the annual plan.
France vs. Morocco predictions
One matchup to watch: Aurelien Tchouameni scored a stunning opening goal against the Three Lions last Saturday and the Real Madrid man will be needed if France are to win the battle the midfields in Al Khor. Aided by Adrien Rabiot, the 22-year-old has fared very well so far in Qatar and now faces arguably his toughest challenge yet with the in-form Sofyan Amrabat. Azzedine Ounahi has also been outstanding for the Moroccans, but Amrabat vs. Tchouameni is arguably the showdown encounter here.
Most likely to score a goal: After he was shackled against England, Kylian Mbappe will be keen to make up for lost time and to add to his five-goal haul in this tournament. The Paris Saint-Germain superstar will be up against club teammate Achraf Hakimi on Wednesday and may well get a few chances given how Hakimi likes to get forward which leaves space. Olivier Giroud and Youssef En Nesyri are both solid bets, but Mbappe is the favorite to score at least once.
Man of the Match pick: Considering his creativity for France of late, Antoine Griezmann is a good shout given that so much flows through him. Amrabat and Ounahi have been joined by Romain Saiss and Sofiane Boufal in performing extremely well this winter and it could be that French captain Hugo Lloris is required to put in a big performance between the sticks to keep Les Bleus' clean sheet intact.
Match predictions:
 |  |  |  |  |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 
France
3-1 |
France
2-1 |
France
1-0 AET |
France
2-0 |
France
2-0 |
France
3-1 |
France
2-0 |
