The action on the pitch at Qatar 2022 has been nothing short of incredible. There have been shock wins for underdogs, there have been dominant performances from some of the world’s footballing superpowers, and there have been absolutely brilliant individual displays.

As always with World Cups, as well as getting to see some of the planet’s most high-profile stars, we’ve also had the opportunity to discover hitherto unsung heroes who have seemingly come from nowhere to impress on the global stage. As the tournament reaches squeaky-bum time – late drama, extra time, penalties, and every goal, tackle and save potentially bringing glory or despair – we’re picking the players who have caught our eye with their on-pitch prowess.

The quarter-finals take place on Friday 9 and Saturday 10 December, live on BBC One and ITV1, and you can watch them wherever you are thanks to Virgin TV Go, which allows all Virgin TV customers to register on up to five devices (and view on two devices simultaneously) at no extra cost. It’s available for iPhone, iPad, Android mobile or tablets, and Windows and Mac laptops and desktops. Find out more about managing your Virgin TV Go app here:

• Find out more about what devices you can use the Virgin TV Go app with

• Make changes to your registered devices on Virgin TV Go (you will need to sign into your account)

• Discover how to register a device for Virgin TV Go and how to replace a registered device

For more about the FIFA World Cup, read our complete guide – and we’ve also got a quiz to keep you entertained while you're waiting for the quarter-finals to start! Here are the details of the World Cup’s last eight and where you can watch the matches:

Brazil v Croatia

Friday 9 December, 2.30pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

Netherlands v Argentina

Friday 9 December, 6.15pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

Morocco v Portugal

Saturday 10 December, 2pm, ITV1 HD (CH 113/103)

England v France

Saturday 10 December, 6pm, ITV1 HD (CH 113/103)

Our World Cup Best XI

Picking the best XI from the more than 800 players in the World Cup squads is a tricky task, because you could pick five or six sides, all packed with superb performers. The Merseyside goalkeeping pair of Alisson Becker and Jordan Pickford have been excellent, while Alisson’s club team-mate Virgil van Dijk has rediscovered his imperious 2019/20 form in defence.

It was tough to leave out Antoine Griezmann, who has reinvented himself as a no10 in France’s electrifying front four, and Richarlison, who has three goals including that memorably acrobatic finish against Serbia (plus, the lad can dance!). Other exciting players like Japan’s Kaoru Mitoma, Morocco’s Ashraf Hakimi and Switzerland’s Breel Embolo came close to making the cut.

But after hours of arguing, wrangling and cajoling, here’s what we settled on. Click/hover over the players to see our reasoning…

When can I watch England v France in the FIFA World Cup?

The quarter-final between Engand and France is on Saturday 10 December at 6pm on ITV1 HD (CH 113/103).