France unfazed by Argentinian refs vs. Morocco

France head coach Didier Deschamps has played down the appointment of Argentinian officials for their World Cup quarterfinal against Morocco on Thursday. The rivalry between the two nations has been fierce since Argentina beat France in the 2022 final, and a repeat remains a possibility this time around. But Deschamps said he had no issue with Facundo Tello being awarded the game, along with two Argentinian assistants, reserve assistant and fourth official. "We have to deal with it. I trust the referees. Our opponent is Morocco, not the referee," Deschamps said. Back-up goalkeeper Robin Risser also backed the officials. "There's been a certain bitterness [between France and Argentina] for a few years now since the last final, but that's part of the game," Risser said. "If these referees are there, it's because they're up to the level of the competition." Refereeing performances have come under scrutiny at this summer's tournament, with French official Francois Letexier's display in the round-of-16 game between Argentina and Egypt criticised by the north African team. Deschamps could not resist a jibe back at those critics, adding: "Let's hope our [officials] are as good as Monsieur Letexier was." - FIFA rejects France's appeal of Michael Olise's yellow card - 2026 World Cup Golden Boot tracker: Will Messi, Mbappé, or other score most goals? - World Cup quarterfinals: How we got here, predictions, odds Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi also played down the impact of the officials. "Regarding the referees for tomorrow's game, we're talking about a very experienced referee," he said at his pre-match news conference on Wednesday. "That's what we want. We want experienced referees for these type of matches. So we're very calm. "We had a Dutch referee before facing the Netherlands and he did very well. So that's not something we really talk about because we know that they're just trying to do their best. The referee we'll have against France, he's not so quick to give bookings, and that can play an impact, but I would not say anything against the quality of the referees." This game is a repeat of the 2022 semifinal when Morocco became the first African nation to reach the World Cup semifinals but their journey ended there, as France won 2-0. But Ouahbi does not feel they have to avenge that defeat. "Whoever the opponent is, our goal remains the same: to reach the semifinals. So, we will focus on ourselves," he said. "There is no revenge. We only want to continue our journey." ESPN's Ed Dove and PA contributed to this report.