World Cup: Olise and Upamecano start for France as Morocco’s Saibari misses out | OneFootball

FC Bayern will be well represented in the opening quarter-final encounter at the 2026 World Cup between France and Morocco. New signing Ismael Saibari will count on Bilal El Khannouss and co as he's out of the game due to a hamstring injury. The 25-year-old was the star of Atlas Lions’ campaign until suffering an injury in the Round of 16 win over Canada.

Meanwhile, VfB Stuttgart's El Khannouss starts once again for Morocco. The winger will be suspended for a potential semi-final if he sees a yellow card, however. Similarly, Michael Olise has to be careful after France's appeal to rescind his yellow card from Paraguay’s game was declined by FIFA's disciplinary committee.

FC Bayern's attacker leads the assists chart with five from as many games. At the other end, Dayot Upamecano currently sits top of several defensive stats in the tournament. In addition to the current Bundesliga stars, there are four players with past German football experience in the starting lineups of the two teams.

In the captain Achraf Hakimi and fellow fullback Noussair Mazraoui, Morocco field former Borussia Dortmund and Bayern defenders once again. Ex-Gladbach midfielder Manu Kone and Ousmane Dembele, who has won the DFB-Pokal in his one-year Dortmund spell nine years ago, are both in Didier Deschamps’ starting XI.

Confirmed France vs. Morocco Lineups

France XI: Maignan; Digne, Saliba, Upamecano, Kounde; Kone, Rabiot; Doué, Olise, Dembele; Mbappe ©

Morocco XI: Bono; Mazraoui, Salah-Eddine, Diop, Hakimi ©; El Aynaoui, Bouaddi; Talbi, Ounahi, Diaz; El Khannouss