And then there were four. We are nearing the end of FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar and the 32 teams have been whittled down to elite four who are just a step away from glory. France, Argentina, Croatia and Morocco have advanced to the last-four after two rounds of some intense football.
Here are the semifinals line-ups
Argentina vs Croatia – Semifinal 1
In the first semifinal of the competition, Lionel Messi’s Argentina will be up against Luka Modric’s Croatia. Having his hopes crushed by Germany in 2014, Messi is dreaming again trying to win the most prestigious trophy football has to offer and sealing his legacy as an all-time great, perhaps even the greatest ever.
Argentina’s Road to the Semis
Group Stage
- Lost to Saudi Arabia 1-2
- Beat Mexico 2-0
- Beat Poland 2-0
Round-of-16
- Beat Australia 2-1
Quarterfinal
- Beat Netherlands 4-3 (Penalty shootout)
On the other hand, Croatia have again produced an impressive campaign after finishing runners-up last time around. Modric broke Messi and Ronaldo’s duopoly to win the Ballon D’or in 2018 and will be aiming to give himself another shot at creating history by guiding his country to their first ever world title.
Croatia’s Road to the Semis
Group Stage
- Drew With Morocco 0-0
- Beat Canada 4-1
- Drew With Belgium 0-0
Round-of-16
- Beat Japan 3-1 (Penalty Shootout)
Quarterfinal
- Beat Brazil 4-1 (Penalty Shootout)
France vs Morocco – Semifinal 2
France have taken another giant step towards becoming the first nation in 60 years to successfully defend their world title. Kylian Mbappe expectedly has been at the forefront of their campaign so far, finding the back of the net five times so far – the most by in the competition so far.
France’s Road to the Semis
Group Stage
- Beat Australia 4-1
- Beat Denmark 2-1
- Lost to Tunisia 0-1
Round-of-16
- Beat Poland 3-1
Quarterfinal
- Beat England 2-1
France will be facing the challenge of a spirited Morocco who have defied the odds by becoming the first ever African nation to enter the last-four stage of a world cup. Achraf Hakimi will lock horns with his ‘friend’ Mbappe in the semifinal stage, hoping to slay another football giant to maintain the fairy-tale run.
Morocco’s Road to the Semis
Group Stage
- Drew With Croatia 0-0
- Beat Belgium 2-0
- Beat Canada 2-1
Round-of-16
- Beat Spain 3-0 (Penalty Shootout)
Quarterfinal
- Beat Portugal 1-0
The first semifinal between Argentina and Croatia will be played on December 13 (Tuesday) at the Lusail Stadium while the second semifinal between France and Morocco will be held on December 14 at (Wednesday) at the Al-Bayt Stadium.
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