In a group that featured FIFA No. 2-ranked Belgium, 2018 World Cup runner-up Croatia and top Concacaf qualifier Canada, Morocco not only survived but won Group F. But its reward was a last-16 meeting with a dangerous Spain side that will be favored to advance to the quarterfinals.
The Atlas Lions went unbeaten in a group where many had them picked to finish last, drawing with Croatia and defeating Belgium and Canada while conceding only one goal. Morocco won’t be intimidated by Spain, however; in 2018, Morocco managed a draw with La Furia Roja in the group stage.
Spain, meanwhile, comes into the knockouts after losing 2–1 to Japan on a hectic final day in Group E. The result came after a 7–0 drubbing of Costa Rica and a draw with Germany, but Spain will have to be sharper against Morocco than it was against Japan if it wants to avoid dropping out of the round of 16 for the second straight World Cup.
The winner of this match will face either Portugal or Switzerland in the quarterfinals.
Follow along here for live updates and highlights of goals and key plays from throughout the match (refresh for most recent updates).
Here are the lineups for both sides:
Full World Cup squads
Morocco
GOALKEEPERS: Yassine Bounou (Sevilla), Munir Mohamedi (Al Wehda), Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti (Wydad AC)
DEFENDERS: Nayef Aguerd (West Ham), Yahia Attiyat Allah (Wydad AC), Badr Benoun (Qatar SC), Achraf Dari (Brest), Jawad El Yamiq (Real Valladolid), Achraf Hakimi (PSG), Noussair Mazraoui (Bayern Munich), Roman Saiss (Besiktas)
MIDFIELDERS: Selim Amallah (Standard Liege), Sofyan Amrabat (Fiorentina), Bilal El Khannous (Genk), Yahya Jabrane (Wydad AC), Azzedine Ounahi (Angers), Abdelhamid Sabiri (Sampdoria), Anass Zaroury (Burnley)
FORWARDS: Abde Ezzalzouli (Osasuna), Zakaria Aboukhlal (Toulouse), Sofiane Boufal (Angers), Ilias Chair (Queens Park Rangers), Walid Cheddira (Bari), Youssef En-Nesyri (Sevilla), Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al-Ittihad), Hakim Ziyech (Chelsea)
COACH: Walid Regragui
Spain
GOALKEEPERS: David Raya (Brentford), Robert Sánchez (Brighton), Unai Simón (Athletic Bilbao),
DEFENDERS: Jordi Alba (Barcelona), César Azpilicueta (Chelsea), Alejandro Balde (Barcelona), Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid), Eric García (Barcelona) Hugo Guillamón (Valencia), Aymeric Laporte (Manchester City), Pau Torres (Villarreal)
MIDFIELDERS: Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Gavi (Barcelona), Koke (Atlético Madrid), Marcos Llorente (Atlético Madrid), Pedri (Barcelona), Rodri (Manchester City), Carlos Soler (Paris Saint-Germain)
FORWARDS: Marco Asensio (Real Madrid), Ansu Fati (Barcelona), Álvaro Morata (Atlético Madrid), Dani Olmo (Leipzig), Yeremy Pino (Villarreal), Pablo Sarabia (Paris Saint-Germain), Ferran Torres (Barcelona), Nico Williams (Athletic Bilbao)
COACH: Luis Enrique
