There are currently just four games remaining in the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, but there will undoubtedly be plenty of entertaining action throughout those games. With so many surprises and teams like Morocco appearing out of nowhere to upset champion teams, the Qatar World Cup has lived up to all the anticipation. The quarterfinal stage featured tense contests. Brazil was eliminated from the World Cup by Croatia 4-2 on penalties, ending Neymar’s World Cup hopes. The game between Argentina and the Netherlands, which similarly went into extra time and then into penalties, was played after that one.
Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, won that game 4-3 on penalties. During the game, Messi became enraged and confronted Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal. Morocco continued their winning streak in the competition by defeating Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal 1-0 in the third quarterfinal to pull off yet another significant shock. Morocco will be crowned FIFA World Cup winner with two more victories. France advanced to the semifinals by defeating England 2-1.
The defending champion France, Argentina, Croatia, and the African powerhouse Morocco all advanced to the semifinals, making history by being the first African and Arab nation to do so in the history of the FIFA World Cup.
On Thursday night, France will take on the Atlas Lions, the giant-killing team from the Qatar World Cup, while Argentina will meet Croatia in the first semifinal.
Morocco, a former French colony, is one of just two unbeaten teams in this World Cup—Croatia is the other—to advance to the semifinals.
In the group stage, Morocco defeated Belgium and Canada. In the round of 16, it defeated 2010 champion Spain. It defeated the victor of Euro 2016—Portugal—in the quarterfinal to get to the semifinals. The defense-minded team of Walid Regragui has only allowed one goal on its way to the semifinal matchup with Canada.
France, which won its second World Cup championship in Russia four years ago, began the defence of that title with victories over Australia and Denmark but dropped a 1-0 decision to Tunisia from the continent of Africa. The Les Blues defeated Poland convincingly 3-1 in the pre-quarterfinals, and then they triumphed against England admirably 2-1 in the quarterfinals.