France 2-0 Morocco result, stats and report

France progressed past Morocco with a controlled second-half double, but the numbers underneath the scoreline reveal a game that was simultaneously more comfortable and more wasteful than the result suggests.

Liverpool have signed France forward Bradley Barcola from PSG for up to £123m, the headline arrival among five summer signings that signal genuine title and Champions League ambition. PSG accepted well below their £145m valuation, raising questions about their negotiating position.

Patrick Vieira has been named Senegal head coach, replacing the sacked Pape Thiaw, but the Dakar-born former France captain arrives with a declining club record and a federation still fighting to reclaim its stripped 2025 Afcon title before CAS.

Chelsea's £52m signing of Crystal Palace centre-back Maxence Lacroix, alongside a failed pursuit of 34-year-old Granit Xhaka, marks the clearest sign yet that ownership is abandoning its youth-only recruitment model after a trophyless, 10th-place season.

France have confirmed Zinedine Zidane as their new head coach, ending Didier Deschamps' 14-year reign after a 2026 World Cup semi-final exit to Spain. The appointment pits Zidane's romantic legend as a 1998 winner and three-time Champions League coach against the reality of a five-year absence from management.

Belgium have appointed former Netherlands captain Mark van Bommel as head coach through Euro 2028, replacing Rudi Garcia after the Red Devils' World Cup quarter-final exit. With zero senior international management experience, Van Bommel faces an immediate examination against Italy, France and Turkey.