LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — France begin their final push towards a third World Cup crown on Thursday when they take on Morocco in a blockbuster showdown as a star-studded quarter-final line-up kicks off.

After a month of scintillating action that has dispelled pre-tournament 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, who have emerged as the outstanding team of the tournament after a series of dazzling attacking displays, face arguably their toughest test so far in the shape of African champions Morocco at the Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, outside Boston.