World Cup 2022: What to know about the match for third place Croatia – Morocco
Croatia and Morocco entered the semi-finals as big outsiders against Argentina and France, respectively. They gave him a run, but theirs World Cup The Cinderella stories ended earlier this week.
But to be in final four it’s nothing to sneer at, and even though the ultimate goal won’t be achieved, a bronze medal isn’t a bad consolation prize.
Croatia and Morocco will battle for third place on Saturday at 10 a.m. ET at Khalifa International Stadium in the Al Rayyan, Qatarsix miles from Doha.
Here’s what you need to know about the match:
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People gather around the official countdown clock showing the time remaining until the start of the 2022 World Cup, in Doha, Qatar, on November 11, 2022.
(AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, File)
How Croatia got here
Croatia lost to France in the 2018 final, and ironically, the first match at this year’s World Cup was against Morocco in Group F. Morocco won the group with seven points, while Croatia finished with five. It was a 0-0 draw on November 23.
Four days later, Croatia demolished Canada 4-1, and in the last game in the group they played another 0-0, this time against Belgium. That was enough for Croatia to go to the knockout stage and eliminate Belgium, which entered the tournament as the second-ranked national team in the world.
Croatia faced Japan in the round of 16, and after a 1-1 draw in overtime, they won in PKs. They did the same thing against Brazil in the quarter-finals. However, they lost to Argentina, 3-0, in the semifinals on Tuesday.
![Croatian players celebrate with goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic after saving three penalties in a shootout during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Round of 16 match between Japan and Croatia at Al Janoub Stadium on December 5, 2022 in Al Wakrah, Qatar.](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2022/12/640/320/GettyImages-1446989932.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Croatian players celebrate with goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic after saving three penalties in a shootout during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Round of 16 match between Japan and Croatia at Al Janoub Stadium on December 5, 2022 in Al Wakrah, Qatar.
(Visionhaus/Getty Images)
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How Morocco got here
We discussed their first game above. After that draw, Morocco made a miraculous 2-0 against Belgium, then beat Canada, 2-1, to win the group.
In the round of 16, Morocco met Spain, and the match was goalless after 120 minutes. But Morocco beat Spain, 3-0, on penalties to advance. Morocco met in the quarter-finals Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal as huge outsiders. But one goal in the first half was all it took for Morocco to become the first African nation to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup. The magic carpet ride ended on Wednesday with a 2-0 loss to France.
![Soccer players from Morocco celebrate after taking a penalty kick during the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match against Spain at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar, December 6, 2022.](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2022/12/640/320/Morocco-players.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Soccer players from Morocco celebrate after taking a penalty kick during the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match against Spain at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar, December 6, 2022.
(AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
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Who are the Croatian players you should know?
Bruno Petković equalized against Brazil in the 117th minute when Croatia won 4-2 on penalties.
Who should Moroccan players know?
Youssef En-Nesyri scored Morocco’s only goal against Portugal, his two goals being the team’s most in the tournament.
Where to watch