World Cup semi-final 2022

Plus, head-to-head record, latest odds and how both teams have fared in Qatar so far.

As he was challenged the ball rebounded back to him from Josip Juranovic and then from an off-balance Borna Sosa and Alvarez just kept going and going and poked it home. Alvarez side-footed past Livakovic and it was game over. He had already been feeling the back of his leg and was moving less easily. As he held off Gvardiol, Messi was able to get his shot away with Livakovic parrying. Despite Luka Modric’s claim to be the best midfielder of his generation it felt like the narrative was set to be Messi’s and so it proved. If there had been metal bars around the pitch it could not have been more cagey and it felt like it would take something surprising to break the deadlock. Messi will need Alvarez with the Manchester City striker not only scoring twice, and earning the penalty, but doing all of his running for him. And running and running. It was pure genius from the genius. Quite why Messi ended up playing the whole game when he could barely run was surprising. This tournament, so rich in its football, its drama, its upsets, and so controversial in so many other ways, has the final act it so craved. In his fifth attempt it really is his final chance.

Ahead of those crunch semi-finals, which are Argentina vs Croatia and France vs Morocco, there will be lots of developments and important team news to keep an ...

There are no World Cup matches taking place this Sunday, December 11. That's because we're in between the quarter-finals and the semi-finals. There really is a lot to discuss, then, this Sunday. There aren't any World Cup fixtures this Sunday, December 11. This has been an incredible World Cup for Morocco and their fans have continued celebrating all over the world. Zlatko Dalic has been speaking about the Argentina vs Croatia match and about how to stop Lionel Messi. There have been various tributes paid to Grant Wahl by those who knew him best. As we look ahead to the World Cup semi-finals, there are only three players who'll miss out with suspension. There's no hiding from it, it hurts and it'll take some time to get over it but that's part of sport." Argentina were worried there might be more suspensions following a FIFA investigation into the behaviour of certain players after their shootout win, but it seems there won't be any bans. So, we'll bring you all that and much more on this live blog. Which clubs are the best represented?

to stream all 64 matches of the FIFA World Cup 2022ᵀᴹ live and free any time on your favourite device. Will a more disciplined Argentina outfit show up this ...

Aside from their 4-1 thrashing of Canada in their second Group F match, Croatia have struggled to win a match inside the allocated 90 minutes throughout the tournament. Australia also gave them a good run for their money, netting in the 77th minute and coming agonisingly close to an equaliser on multiple occasions. However Argentina are nearly as impressive, having become the first team to be involved in six penalty shootouts at the World Cup from their last outing, winning five and losing one. We won´t be looking for excuses, we are here on a mission.” While France sealed both of their knock-out matches in regular time, Morocco had to grind through a scoreless 120 minutes against Spain and the dreaded penalty shootout to progress to the final eight. Having already secured a spot in the last 16, France had the luxury of resting a number of key players in their final group match against Tunisia, while Morocco still needed a result against the eliminated Canada to qualify above Belgium or Croatia in their group.

We already know one and a half of the two World Cup semifinals as the tournament enters its final week of action. Here are all the details on the final four ...

1 If the teams are still deadlocked after extra time, the match will proceed to a penalty shootout where each team takes turns trying to score from the penalty spot. (In other words, it's not a next-goal-win situation or 'golden goal'.) [Who will win the 2022 FIFA World Cup? Their last meeting came in 2007 (a 2-2 friendly draw). They split their only two World Cup meetings, with Argentina claiming a narrow 1-0 win in 1998. The European side knows how to keep things tight as their five matches thus far in Qatar have shown. GMT / 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. / 7 p.m. 2 p.m. There were eight teams vying for a spot in the semifinals.

Each team played three matches in the group stage before half were eliminated. The top 16 battled it out for a place in the quarter-finals. Now, those final ...

The top 16 battled it out for a place in the quarter-finals. [Neymar unsure if he’ll play for Brazil at another World Cup](/sports/2022/12/10/neymar-unsure-if-hell-play-for-brazil-again-at-another-world-cup) [For Brazil fans, the ‘sadness is too much’ after World Cup exit](/sports/2022/12/10/for-brazil-fans-sadness-is-too-much-after-world-cup-loss) Published On 10 Dec 2022

The 'Rocky Balboa' team toppling football giants... and how a big gamble could deliver WC 'miracle'

“Africa is back on the map of football today,” Regragui said after the Portugal win. Part of the success – and one of the key reasons they have been embraced by fans from all nations – is due to Regragui’s decision to invite the families of the players to Qatar and make them a key part of the team’s journey. Now, it is Morocco – who also bid to host that 2010 tournament – carrying the hopes of a continent. we have indeed changed this mentality, and the generation coming after us will know that Moroccan players can create miracles.” The parents and families are in the front row at their games, or even on the pitch celebrating with the team after victories. Their historic journey has drawn in and enchanted fans from around the world. “I’ve been living in France for more than 50 years now and this is the first competition that I left Paris for.” In what is already a memorable World Cup – the first to be held in the Middle East – the Moroccan underdogs have become the first African, Arab, and Muslim nation to ever reach the final four. He debuted for Morocco later the same year, and has played a key role in their rapid rise, scoring against Canada then dispatching a penalty in the shootout win over Spain. In fact, the only goal they have conceded all tournament was an own goal in a 2-1 win over Canada. all over the world.” In their group stage, they also held out Croatia for a goalless draw, the 2018 finalists who also have reached the semi-finals this time around.

The 2022 World Cup semifinals include a pair of eye-catching ties, with 2018 finalists Croatia taking on Argentina and defending champions France up against ...

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Argentina will play Croatia and France take on Morocco in the semi-finals; it will be a great story whoever lifts the trophy.

Despite previously signalling support for LGBTQ+ rights, there has been a deafening silence from some of the biggest multinational companies sponsoring the tournament on [human rights](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/dec/08/qatar-launches-investigation-after-reported-death-of-worker-at-world-cup-site) and [discrimination against LGBTQ+ people](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/nov/08/qatar-world-cup-ambassador-homosexuality) in Qatar. In the aftermath of their fiery penalty shootout triumph over the Netherlands, Argentina have drawn criticism and acclaim for their spectacular bad grace in victory. There remains something deeply impressive in the way he has carved out a status as both the selfless striker who enables his glitzier teammates to excel and the reliable no-frills goalscorer who gets his team over the line when it counts. Sports Illustrated wrote: “We were proud to call him a colleague and friend for two decades – no writer in the history of SI has been more passionate about the sport he loved.” After Croatia’s comeback victory in the 2018 semi-final, Luka Modric accused the English media of disrespect in the build-up. The Atlas Lions have bitten their way through a map of Europe, beating Belgium, Spain and Portugal – but France would be the tastiest of the lot. Their team have defied injury and logic to become the first African team ever to reach the World Cup semi-finals. Maybe Pelé will see belated fulfilment of his prediction that an African team would win the World Cup by the year 2000. Zlatko Dalic’s side are the unkillables of world football, a hard-wearing group of extra-time addicts who have had the best view from the precipice ever since Romelu Lukaku started missing sitters in their final group game against Belgium. Croatia embarrassed Argentina 3-0 in the group stage of the last World Cup, when keeper Willy Caballero had an infamous shocker. France would be the first team to retain the trophy since 1962. After the most wildly emotional set of quarter-finals in World Cup history, we now know the semi-final line-up for Qatar 2022.