EFC Brief

The one that matters here is genuine: Lucas Digne, who gave Everton three-plus seasons of overlapping runs and set-piece delivery from 2018 to 2023, lines up for France as the sole true Toffee alumnus on either team. Everton fans will watch his left flank with a familiar mix of affection and frustration, and against Morocco's flying full-backs he'll have his hands full. Beyond Digne, this fixture is stacked with names that have drifted through Everton's rumour mill over the years — Mbappé, Dembélé, Rabiot and Maignan for France, Hakimi, Ounahi, Brahim Díaz and Issa Diop for Morocco — though those links range from plausible to purely aspirational. Ounahi is the one that once felt real, briefly touted during a busy window. With confirmed lineups in and kickoff at 4:00 PM ET, keep an eye on Digne against Hakimi: two attacking full-backs, one shared corner of Goodison history worth savouring.