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Two of the most exciting teams in this year’s World Cup, France and Morocco, are set to meet in a blockbuster quarter-final clash in Boston.

Didier Deschamps’ French squad arrived in North America as one of the top favourites to lift the World Cup trophy for the third time, and their performances so far have lived up to that billing.

After dominating what was arguably the toughest group in the tournament, France eased past a Sweden side that struggled to contain their formidable attacking quartet of Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembélé, Bradley Barcola, and the ever-dangerous Kylian Mbappé.

France then faced a different sort of challenge against Paraguay, who had already shocked Germany by winning on penalties. Paraguay adopted a gritty and defensive approach, which nearly paid off, but France’s composure and attacking aggression saw them prevail. Fortune may have favoured them slightly through a Kylian Mbappé penalty, but they showed the determination needed to advance.

Morocco, meanwhile, have displayed immense character and resilience over the past four years. The Atlas Lions have led African football during this period and are now aiming for a second consecutive semi-final appearance at the World Cup.

Under the guidance of manager Mohamed Ouhabi, Morocco have gone five World Cup matches unbeaten for the second tournament in a row and currently sit comfortably within the top 10 of the world rankings.

Their campaign began with a spirited performance against Brazil, where they were unfortunate not to claim all three points. A dominant first half yielded a goal from Ismael Saibari, only for Vinicius Junior to equalise with a fine strike.

Morocco then edged out Scotland in Boston in a hard-fought contest settled by Saibari’s goal inside the opening 70 seconds. They concluded the group stage with an enthralling 4-2 win over Haiti.

In the round of 32, Morocco faced the Netherlands. After Cody Gakpo’s early goal, Issa Diop struck late to force extra time. With the match still level after 120 minutes, Morocco triumphed in the penalty shootout, benefiting from missed spot-kicks by Justin Kluivert, Crycensio Summerville, and Quinten Timber.

The victory emphasised Morocco’s growing stature as genuine contenders, and they followed it up with a commanding win over hosts Canada to book their place in this highly anticipated quarter-final against France.

Kylian Mbappé continues to dazzle, now sitting just one goal behind Lionel Messi in the all-time World Cup scoring charts with 19 goals. The French captain has achieved this tally in only 19 World Cup appearances, compared to Messi’s 31.

Deschamps’ main injury concern lies in midfield, where Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouaméni has missed the last two matches with a thigh injury. His stand-in, Kouadio Koné, has yet to make a major impact and has occasionally left Adrien Rabiot isolated. Tchouaméni might recover in time for this tie, though Deschamps remains tight-lipped about his availability.

Morocco’s injury situation appears more serious. Top scorer Ismael Saibari was forced off against Canada with a hamstring problem after just 30 minutes — a setback that could significantly affect Ouhabi’s tactical plans. Soufiane Rahmi deputised in their previous match but may not offer the same attacking spark as Saibari.

However, there is some good news for Morocco as defender Chadi Riad is returning from injury and could start, reinforcing what would be their strongest defensive line. Riad replaced fellow centre-back Redouane Halhal during the win over Canada.

France and Morocco have met only twice before this encounter. Their last meeting came during the 2022 World Cup semi-final in Qatar, where France triumphed 2-0. Their earlier meeting in 2007 ended in a 2-2 draw.

Thursday’s showdown presents Morocco with the perfect opportunity to avenge that defeat and potentially shake up the World Cup race, while France will look to reaffirm their dominance and prove once again why they are among the world’s elite.

The quarter-final between France and Morocco kicks off at 21:00 (BST) in Boston, with live broadcast available on BBC One, ITV, ITVX, and STV Player.