Morocco face North Korea for historic Under-17 World Cup quarter-final place

Morocco will face North Korea in the last 16 of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup on Wednesday, with a place in the quarter-finals at stake.

The match will be played at the Complexe Mohammed VI de football in Sale, with kick-off scheduled for 16:00 French time and 15:00 in Morocco.

The game will be available to watch for free via streaming on FIFA+ through DAZN. It will also be broadcast free-to-air in Morocco on Arryadia, as well as on beIN Sports Mena.

Morocco are reaching the knockout stage for only the second time in their history, and for a second successive edition. However, to progress to the last eight for the first time, Youness Rabie’s side must overcome the team that ended their campaign at the same stage last year.

North Korea won that meeting 6-1, making them a particularly difficult opponent as Morocco attempt to secure a historic quarter-final appearance on home soil.

Morocco’s route into the knockout phase was confirmed only after the group stage had concluded. They began the tournament with a 4-0 victory over New Zealand, but then suffered defeats by Germany and Argentina, losing 4-2 and 5-1 respectively.

Those results left Morocco waiting for the outcome of the final round of group matches. Their qualification was eventually secured when Venezuela lost on the final day, allowing the North Africans to advance among the best third-placed teams.

Their next challenge is the competition’s double defending champions and leading contenders to retain the trophy. North Korea won the previous edition with a perfect record, but their performances in the current tournament have been less dominant.

The Asian side opened their campaign by beating Puerto Rico 6-0 and then defeated Poland 6-1. They were, however, beaten 3-1 by Nigeria in the first round, a result which suggests Morocco may have an opportunity to challenge the reigning champions.

Morocco will therefore need to produce a different result from last year’s meeting if they are to continue their run on home ground. Victory would take the Lioncelles de l’Atlas into the quarter-finals for the first time, while North Korea are seeking to maintain their bid for a third consecutive title.