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This match carries weight beyond football.
France and Morocco share a long and complicated history, shaped by colonialism, migration and one of Europe’s largest Moroccan diasporas.
Many of the families travelling to back the Atlas Lions will have flown from France.
Several Moroccan internationals could have represented France but chose instead the country of their parents and grandparents, a decision that makes this as much about identity as football.
For Shteiwy, that adds another layer to Thursday’s encounter.
“There are players who played for France’s youth teams,” he says. “They’ll now play with strong feelings and will want to prove they could have represented Les Bleus, but chose instead the country of their heritage.”
Hakimi versus Mbappe – club team-mates, close friends and, for one night, rivals – has become the sporting symbol of that story.
So the question isn’t simply whether Morocco can beat France.
It’s whether the team that shocked the world in Qatar can prove that campaign wasn’t the peak, but the foundation.
In Qatar, Morocco made history. In Boston, they have the chance to prove it was only the beginning.
