France, Morocco kick off blockbuster World Cup quarter finals

France begin their final push for a third World Cup crown on Thursday when they take on Morocco in a blockbuster showdown to kick off a star-studded quarter-final line-up.

After a month of scintillating action that has dispelled anxieties over sky-high ticket prices and geopolitics, the biggest, boldest and most logistically complex World Cup ever staged has been whittled down to eight teams.

France have emerged as the outstanding side after a series of dazzling attacking displays.

But they face their toughest test so far in the shape of African champions Morocco at the Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, outside Boston.

Les Bleus have surged into the last eight in style, scoring 14 goals in five games — seven of them from prolific captain Kylian Mbappe — one of four star strikers battling for the Golden Boot.

Argentina’s Lionel Messi tops the scoring chart with eight, Mbappe and Norway’s Erling Haaland have seven each and England’s Harry Kane has six.