France and Morocco in their own ways have exceeded the expectations spectators and experts had from them before the tournament. Now one of the nations will have to bring out their best to meet Argentina in the final and come one step closer to winning the biggest accolade in football.
Very few thought France could come this far and perhaps once again repeat their exploits and success from 4 years ago in Russia. With essential and experienced players such as Kante, Benzema, and Pogba missing the tournament, no one thought this relatively inexperienced squad would make it till here.
However, Kylian Mbappe has led from the front along with the senior-most member of the squad and now France's all-time top-scorer, Olivier Giroud. The French have more or less dispatched most of their opponents with ease, showing great solidity in offence and defence. However, they did show signs of vulnerability against England in their last match despite coming out on top.
It is these small gaps Morocco will be looking to exploit while soaking up pressure from France. To many people's surprise, perhaps even quite a lot of their supporters, Morocco have been the most organised team of this tournament, only conceding 1 goal in its entirety, that too an own goal.
On their way to making history and becoming the first African nation to make it to the World Cup semi-finals, Morocco have defeated European giants Spain, Portugal, and Belgium without conceding once. Lucky may have been a small factor, but their solidarity as a single unit has helped them push through all obstacles.
Therefore, it remains to be seen whether France will use their dominance to comfortably make it through to the final once more. Or will Morocco use their solidity, and the support of an entire continent, to overcome the odds once more?
France vs Morocco confirmed lineups
France XI (4-2-3-1): Lloris; Koundé, Varane, Konaté, Théo Hernandez; Tchouaméni, Fofana; Dembélé, Griezmann, Mbappé; Giroud
Morocco XI (5-2-3): Bono; Hakimi, El Yamiq, Dari, Saiss, Mazraoui; Amrabat, Ounahi; Ziyech, En Nesyri, Boufal
France vs Morocco LIVE updates
France and Morocco's upcoming opponents
The winner of this match will go on to meet Argentina in the final on 18th December at the Lusail Iconic Stadium, while the losers will meet Croatia in the third-place play-off on 17th December at the Khalifa International Stadium.