A guard sits on a horse as France's and Morocco's flags adorn the Mohammed V Boulevard in Rabat ahead of the French president state visit, in Rabat on October 28, 2024.AFP via Getty Images

The great France-Morocco reconciliation faces a World Cup test – POLITICO

by · POLITICO

PARIS — The newfound harmony between France and Morocco will be tested Thursday night when the two nations clash in the World Cup quarterfinals in Boston.  

Relations between Paris and Rabat have rarely been warmer, after President Emmanuel Macron recognized Morocco’s disputed sovereignty plan for Western Sahara in 2024. During a state visit to Rabat that year, Macron hailed a deep connection between the two countries “that stretches back to time immemorial.” 

But the propensity of French police to crack down on exuberant football fans, along with recurring violent incidents after big matches involving French teams, and the scorching summer weather baking France all add up to a potential tinderbox across the country.