The off day's over. Somebody's summer ends this afternoon.

Was there a World Cup game yesterday?

No, and that was on purpose. FIFA built exactly one rest day into the whole tournament, and July 8 was it, the buffer between the Round of 16 finishing Tuesday and the quarterfinals opening today. Think of it like the week off between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl: nothing on the field, but every team left is traveling, treating bumps and bruises, and watching film on whoever they drew next. If you want the actual soccer, Tuesday's results are still worth your time: Argentina erased a 2-0 deficit to beat Egypt 3-2 in the final eleven minutes, and Switzerland outlasted Colombia 4-3 on penalties after 120 scoreless minutes. Full breakdown is in yesterday's recap.

Who plays today? France vs. Morocco: what time and channel (July 9, 2026)

Just the one game, and it's a big one.

• France vs. Morocco, 4 p.m. ET at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts. Fox and Telemundo, streaming on Fox One and Peacock.

That's the entire slate today. No doubleheader, no undercard, just one win-or-go-home game with a four-year grudge attached to it.

What's the must-watch game today?

Easy pick when it's the only game on, but France vs. Morocco would win the day even with company. This is a straight rematch of the 2022 semifinal, which France won 2-0 on the way to the final. Morocco has had four years to think about nothing else, and they arrive having already knocked out co-host Canada 3-0 in the Round of 16, with their own goalkeeper, Bounou, eliminating the country of his birth to get there. That's the soccer version of a division rival hiring away your former star just to beat you with him.

France counters with Kylian Mbappe, who has scored seven goals in five games this tournament and is chasing a second straight Golden Boot, something no player has ever done. But France doesn't arrive clean: midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni is doubtful with an adductor injury, and three France starters, Olise, Barcola, and Kone, are all one yellow card away from missing the semifinal if they get booked today. It's the soccer equivalent of your best cornerback playing on a hamstring while three other starters are on a personal-foul warning from the ref. Morocco's own bad news: Ilias Saibari, the midfielder who scored in every group game and buried the winning penalty in Morocco's Round of 32 shootout over the Netherlands, is out with a hamstring injury and won't play.

Call it a moderate favorite for France, on paper and on Mbappe's scoring pace, but Morocco has already beaten a host nation on the road to get here and doesn't look like a team that scares easily. We'll break down all four quarterfinal bracket paths on the GameDay School YouTube channel before kickoff.

What channel are today's World Cup games on?

France vs. Morocco airs on Fox in English and Telemundo in Spanish, streaming on Fox One, the Fox Sports app, and Peacock. Friday brings Spain vs. Belgium at 3 p.m. ET, then Saturday closes the round with Norway vs. England at 5 p.m. ET and Argentina vs. Switzerland at 9 p.m. ET, all on the same channels. See the complete How-to-Watch guide or stream every game here.

New here? Start with these

If a rematch four years in the making is what got you to click, welcome, you picked a loaded day to start paying attention. We translate every bracket, every seed, and every upset into NFL and baseball terms on the GameDay School YouTube channel. Subscribe before kickoff and the quarterfinals will make sense fast.

• Start with How the 2026 World Cup Works for groups, the bracket, and how single elimination works from here.
• Use How to Watch the 2026 World Cup for every channel and stream.
• Catch up with yesterday's recap (July 8) for the full Argentina-Egypt comeback and the Switzerland-Colombia shootout.

FAQ: World Cup July 9, 2026

Why weren't there any World Cup games on July 8?

July 8 was the tournament's only built-in rest day, giving the eight remaining teams time to travel and recover between the Round of 16 and the quarterfinals. Games resumed today, July 9, with France vs. Morocco.

What time does France play Morocco today?

France vs. Morocco kicks off today, July 9, at 4 p.m. ET at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

What channel is France vs. Morocco on?

France vs. Morocco airs on Fox and Telemundo, streaming on Fox One and Peacock. It is a rematch of the 2022 World Cup semifinal, which France won 2-0.

What's the full World Cup quarterfinal schedule?

France plays Morocco today, Thursday, July 9, at 4 p.m. ET. Spain faces Belgium Friday, July 10, at 3 p.m. ET. Saturday, July 11 closes the round with Norway vs. England at 5 p.m. ET and Argentina vs. Switzerland at 9 p.m. ET.