Kuwait holds a unique World Cup record as the first Arab opponent of France

In this file photo, Kuwaiti player tackles Michel Platini during the 1982 World Cup match between Kuwait and France.

PHILADELPHIA, July 5:  France advanced to the 2026 World Cup quarter-finals after a narrow 1-0 win over Paraguay in Philadelphia the day before yesterday, setting up a high-profile clash with Morocco in a repeat of the 2022 semi-final.

France captain Kylian Mbappé scored the decisive goal in the 70th minute from the penalty spot, awarded after a VAR review, sending “Les Bleus” into the last eight.

The strike was Mbappé’s seventh of the tournament, drawing him level with Argentina star Lionel Messi at the top of the scoring chart. It also marked a milestone for France, becoming their 150th goal in World Cup history.

Encounters with Arab teams have often played a key role in France’s World Cup journeys, frequently serving as stepping stones toward deeper progress in the tournament.

The upcoming quarter-final against Morocco will be the sixth World Cup meeting between France and Arab nations. Their previous five encounters include:

France vs Kuwait (1982 World Cup): The first meeting dates back 44 years, when France defeated Kuwait 4-1 in the group stage of the 1982 World Cup in Spain. France’s goals came from Bernard Genghini, Michel Platini, Didier Six, and Maxime Bossis, while Abdullah Al-Baloushi scored for Kuwait. The result helped France continue its run to the semi-finals, where they eventually finished fourth after losing to Poland in the third-place match.

France vs Saudi Arabia (1998 World Cup): During France’s 1998 title-winning campaign, it opened its tournament with a 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia. Thierry Henry scored twice, with further goals from Bixente Lizarazu and David Trezeguet. The match also saw a red card for Zinedine Zidane and Saudi defender Mohammed Al-Khilaiwi.

France vs Tunisia and Morocco (2022 World Cup). In Qatar 2022, France faced two Arab teams on its way to the final. Tunisia beat France 1-0 in its final group match through Wahbi Khazri at Education City Stadium. France later eliminated Morocco 2-0 in the semi-finals at Al Bayt Stadium, with goals from Theo Hernandez and Randal Kolo Muani.

France vs Iraq (2026 World Cup): In the current edition, France also met Iraq in Group I, winning 3-0 in its second group-stage match under coach Didier Deschamps.