World Cup 2022: What do you know about the third-place match between Croatia and Morocco?
Croatia and Morocco entered the semi-finals as underdogs to Argentina and France, respectively. They turned it on, but the Cinderella World Cup stories were cut earlier this week.
But being in the gold square is nothing to scoff at, and while the ultimate goal isn’t met, a bronze medal isn’t a bad consolation prize.
Croatia and Morocco battle it out for third place on Saturday at 10 a.m. ET at Khalifa International Stadium in Al-Rayyan, Qatar, six miles from Doha.
Here’s what you need to know about the match:
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People gather around the official countdown clock that shows the time remaining until the start of the 2022 World Cup, in Doha, Qatar, November 11, 2022.
(AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, file)
How did Croatia get here
Croatia lost to France in the 2018 final and, ironically, their first World Cup match this year was against Morocco in Group F matches. Morocco won the group with seven points, while Croatia finished with five points. The match was played to a 0-0 draw on 23 November.
Four days later, Croatia defeated Canada, 4-1, and in their final group match, played in another match with a score of 0-0, this time against Belgium. That was enough for Croatia to enter the knockout stage and eliminate Belgium, who entered the tournament as the second national team in the world.
Croatia faced Japan in the round of 16, and after they were tied 1-1 during extra time, they took home the win on PKs. Oh, and they did the same thing against Brazil in the quarterfinals. However, they lost to Argentina, 3-0, in the semifinals on Tuesday.
Croatia players celebrate with goalkeeper Dominik Levakovic after he saved three penalties in the penalty 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)
Lionel Messi leads Argentina to the World Cup final in a dominant victory over Croatia
How did Morocco get here
We discussed their first match above. After that tie, Morocco shook off a miraculous 2-0 defeat against Belgium and then defeated Canada 2-1 to win the group.
In the Round of 16, Morocco faced Spain, and the match was goalless after 120 minutes. But Morocco beat Spain 3-0 on penalties to move on. In the quarter-finals, Morocco faced Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal as big underdogs. But one goal in the first half was all Morocco needed to become the first African country to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup. Wednesday’s magic carpet trip ended with a 2-0 loss to France.
Morocco players celebrate after the penalty shootout in the round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup 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 Petkovic equalized against Brazil in the 117th minute as Croatia won 4-2 on penalties.
Who are the Moroccan players who should know?
Youssef En-Nesiri scored Morocco’s only goal against Portugal, and it was his two most goals in the team in the tournament.
Where to watch
here.
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