Bouaddi chose Morocco and now faces France in the quarter-final

Bouaddi chose Morocco, and he'll face you Thursday

Ayyoub Bouaddi is 18, came through the Lille academy, and played for France at youth level. He just switched to Morocco before the World Cup (3). Guy Stéphan, Deschamps' assistant, kept it calm: "On ne va pas le blâmer", we're not going to blame him (11). Now Bouaddi will line up against France in the quarter-final in Boston on Thursday.

Mbappé calls Paraguayan senator 'a despicable woman'

Kylian Mbappé did not stay silent. After France beat Paraguay 1–0 in the Round of 32 on Saturday, Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla made racist remarks about the French captain (1) (5) (6). Mbappé responded directly: "A despicable woman" (8). The French Football Federation has filed a lawsuit (1). The Paraguayan senator then sent an open letter demanding an apology and threatening legal action for "gender-based violence" (4). The French and Paraguayan governments are now involved (1) (5).

France 1–0 Paraguay, quarter-final bound

Your team got through. Mbappé scored the winner in Philadelphia, and France are into the last eight (1) (5) (6) (8) (9). Not a vintage performance, but knockout football does not ask for style points.

Hakimi: Mbappé is not my friend on the pitch

Achraf Hakimi and Kylian Mbappé are close from their PSG days. None of that matters Thursday. "Pas mon ami sur le terrain", not my friend on the pitch, Hakimi said ahead of the quarter-final (10). Morocco knocked France out in the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup. This one is in Boston.

Fan reactions

The reddit thread on the FFF's lawsuit against Amarilla is overwhelmingly behind Mbappé. Most fans describe the senator's comments as indefensible and praise the federation for acting fast. The tone is angry but united, nobody is debating whether the remarks crossed a line, only what the consequences should be. Read the full discussion