Boston, United States – Less than 24 hours before the first quarterfinal of the World Cup between France and Morocco at Boston Stadium, the official FIFA fan zone in the host city was dismantled and shut down.On Wednesday, workers took apart the scaffolding, put away the match-screening equipment, and wrapped up what they thought were the last remnants of the World Cup party in the US city known as “Titletown” – a nod to its historic success in US sports.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listAnd then came the Moroccans.With their red shirts, red-and-green flags, and following their red-hot team, Morocco’s supporters could be spotted in small groups all over downtown Boston from early afternoon.Travelling from their home country, within the US and the rest of the world, the fans have descended upon the city with a belief that Morocco will win the World Cup.Gone is the shock of the surprising Qatar World Cup 2022 run, which saw the Atlas Lions knock out one big name after another before they were stopped in the semifinals by the same nemesis they will face on Thursday.The players and coaches might say it is not a grudge match for 2022, but the fans have no qualms about claiming otherwise.“We truly believe in this team, and we back them to avenge the pain of 2022,” Ismael Chaouie, who has travelled from Casablanca to support his team, told Al Jazeera.‘Eager to win’Morocco began their 2026 tournament journey with an impressive 1-1 draw against Brazil inside a packed New York New Jersey Stadium nearly a month ago. Advertisem …
