Morocco face France in Thursday's World Cup quarterfinal in Boston.It's a meeting loaded with history: the country they're playing once ruled them, and the melody of the anthem sung before kickoff was written by a French military officer during that very era.Morocco have already broken new ground just by getting here. Their win over Canada in the Round of 16 made them the first African nation to reach consecutive World Cup quarterfinals, following their run to the semifinals in 2022. Before the game, though, the focus turns to a stadium ritual with its own layered story: the Cherifian Anthem, Morocco's national anthem.Here's what the anthem says, who wrote it, and the history behind it.2026 WORLD CUP HQ: Latest World Cup news | Full World Cup schedule | Buy World Cup ticketsMorocco nationa