One of the most intriguing matchups in the World Cup quarterfinals takes place on Thursday night (11:00 p.m.), with France and Morocco battling for a spot in the tournament’s semifinals, where they will face the winner of the Spain-Belgium matchup.

The two teams are meeting again in the World Cup knockout stage, four years after the 2022 semifinal in Qatar, when the “Tricolores” prevailed 2-0 and brought an end to the Moroccans’ historic run, as they became the first African team ever to reach the final four.

Didier Deschamps’ team is once again putting together a convincing run. They started with a perfect record in the group stage, defeating Senegal (3-1), Iraq (3-0), and Norway (4-1), before eliminating Sweden 3-0 and Paraguay 1-0 thanks to a well-taken penalty by Kylian Mbappé.

Meanwhile, Mohamed Ouabi’s Morocco continues to impress. The Africans began the tournament with a draw against Brazil (1-1), defeated Scotland and Haiti to advance from the group stage, while in the knockout stage they eliminated the Netherlands on penalty kicks and then defeated co-host Canada by a convincing 3-0 margin.

France’s biggest strength remains its attacking trio, with Mbappé, Dembélé, and Olise in top form, while Morocco is banking on its defensive solidity and the quality of players like Hakimi and Ounahi, with its leading scorer, Saibari, being doubtful for the match.

Probable starting lineups:

France: Menian, Koundé, Upamecano, Saliba, Dinn, Koné, Rabiot, Dembélé, Olise, Doué, Mbappé.

Morocco: Bono, Hakimi, Diop, Riad, Mazraoui, El Ainaoui, Bouadi, Diaz, Ounai, El Kanoos, Rahimi.

*Photo source: AP