“If France won (the final), it would be great because we could say we lost to the world champion,'' Regragui said at the press conference after the game.
France ended Morocco's World Cup dream as goals from Theo Hernandez and Randal Kolo Muani gave the holders a 2-0 win in their semi-final clash and set up a showdown on Sunday with Lionel Messi's Argentina.
It looked like France might make short work of their opponents when Hernandez scored inside five minutes at Al Bayt Stadium, despite having a hostile crowd against them.
But Morocco, the first African and Arab team ever to reach the last four at a World Cup, fought on despite losing key players to injury only to see substitute Kolo Muani seal victory for Les Bleus with a late second.
“My players gave everything,'' the Morocco coach added.
“They've gone as far as they could. It's difficult for them to take no. They wanted to rewrite the history books, but you can't win a World Cup with miracles, you have to do it with hard work and that's what we are going to do, keep working,'' Regragui said.
“We had too many players who were at 60-70 percent... nevertheless, we got through to the semifinals,'' Regragui added.
It will be France's fourth World Cup final in seven editions and they are hoping to become the first team since Brazil 60 years ago to retain the trophy if they take on Argentina at Lusail Stadium on Sunday.
“Over the past 20 years you can say France is the top footballing country in the world,'' Regragui said.
“I'm proud because I grew up in France and I learned my trade there. Sometimes you criticise French coaches and French football, but they have the best players and the best coaches, the best team in the world,” the Morocco coach concluded.
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