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Croatia vs Morocco summary: Croatia third place, score, goals, highlights | Qatar World Cup 2022:

Croatia vs Morocco: as it happened
Singing off...

OK, guys, that's all from me (Joe) today. Thank you for following AS USA for the live coverage of Croatia 2-1 Morocco in the third place playoff.

It has been a pleasure for the whole World Cup - and we will be back once more tomorrow for the final!

2-1

?-? ​​​​​​​

And now two pieces on how the teams could line up tactically to face each other...

WORLD CUP 2022

Didier Deschamps says Mbappé needs “calmness” before World Cup Final

Read everything that France manager Didier Deschamps had to say about the game...

including whether or not Benzema will be making a shock return.

So, in case you didn't know...

There's one more game tomorrow...

Number 64/64

THE WORLD CUP FINAL:

ARGENTINA VS ​​​​​​​ FRANCE

10am ET / 7am PT / 4pm CEST

Modric is calling over all the staff to join in. Seriously, what a lovely fella he is.

All the team are now swaying on the 'podium', singing along with each other. Lovely scenes.

And now the kids have run over and immediately ask their dads for the medals so they can go and play 'World Cup' on the pitch behind.

Here we go, time for Croatia!

Lukita Modric is up first, and he rightly looks delighted. I'm not sure where I stand on saying 'podium finishes' at a World Cup, but I'll give it a go here for this lovely Croatia side.

That's all the players now, and the manager - time for the celebration to begin!

The referees are receiving their medals and shaking hands with lots of (presumably) important people. Mr Infantino gets to put the medal on their heads, like the kid who chooses what to play because it's his ​​​​​​​ball.

For once, Croatia didn't go to extra time.

That was kind of them, although I was very much enjoying the game.

Croatia vs Morocco 2-1: World Cup 2022 – as it happened:

That’s your lot

A fairly thrilling 2-1 victory for Croatia dispelled any worries that this game would fall somewhat flat due to tiredness and injuries on both sides. Attention now moves on to the big game tomorrow, as France and Argentina fight it out for the third World Cup they both seek.

Until next time …

How the game was won

An exciting third-place playoff went the way of the pre-game favourites, but it wasn’t a straightforward affair.

You can read our match report here to catch up on the action.

Future bright for Atlas Lions

Players like Hakim Ziyech, 29, and Romain Saiss, 32, might struggle to make the next World Cup in four years or at least not be at their peak.

However, the rest of the players on this Morocco team are in their mid-20s for the most part, so they should be in a good place come 2026.

Croatia pick up their medals

They’ve cemented their reputation as a great national side after following up their second place finish in 2018 with a bronze medal here.

Modric and company look as delighted as you’d expect with this result after a hard-fought 90 minutes.

Luka Modric receiving his medal from FIFA boss Gianni Infantino [Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera]

Morocco can’t have any complaints

They were looking for free kicks for every slight as that game went on, but they were beaten by the better team today. Croatia created a good few chances on the break at 2-1, and deservedly finish in third place at this World Cup.

Morocco players and staff after the end of the match [Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera]

Full-time

We may not have seen any more goals in the second half, but it was still an intriguing watch with both teams getting feisty as the game progressed. Croatia showed their class at this level and had better chances to score even as Morocco chased a leveller.

Some of the Morocco players surrounded the referee at the end, but if anything, it’s Croatia that should have had a penalty awarded in that second half.

Not a great look from the Atlas Lions, but they’ve been a great team throughout this World Cup.

En Nesyri heads over

It was another great leap like his goal against Portugal, but he heads over.

90+6 mins: Croatia 2-1 Morocco

Kristijan Jakic on for Croatia

Orsic goes off.

90+5 mins: Croatia 2-1 Morocco

Atlas Lions piling pressure on

Croatia are camped in their own half but heading everything that Morocco throw at them to safety.

90+4 mins: Croatia 2-1 Morocco

Morocco sending it long
En-Nesyri is caught offside from the long pass, however, so his header meant little.

90+3 mins: Croatia 2-1 Morocco

1h ago (16:49 GMT)
Six minutes added on
Plenty of time for Morocco to get themselves back in this game.

90+1 mins: Croatia 2-1 Morocco

1h ago (16:46 GMT)
Kovacic fires wide
It’s on his left foot and his just pulls it wide after a late run into the box. That was a big chance to end this game.

88 mins: Croatia 2-1 Morocco

1h ago (16:45 GMT)
Amallah gets booked
He’s not happy with the referee and it’s unclear whether the yellow card was for the stray arm or his arguments thereafter.

86 mins: Croatia 2-1 Morocco

Petkovic in space
He’s in acres of space on the left-hand side, but eventually crosses and it deflects wide for a corner. Orsic takes the delivery in but it’s headed out at the first attempt.

84 mins: Croatia 2-1 Morocco

Contentious call
The replays of that Gvardiol penalty claim would suggest that Amrabat got away with one there. Surprising that VAR didn’t ask Abdulrahman al-Jassim to go to the monitor and reconsider his decision.

80 mins: Croatia 2-1 Morocco

Brilliant Livakovic save

En Nesyri shoots from close range but once again the Croatia keeper is in the right position. Hakimi now goes down looking for a penalty but it was outside the box.

77 mins: Croatia 2-1 Morocco

Morocco throwing numbers forward

They play a series of long balls towards the Croatia box, but it keeps coming back at them.

Gvardiol is looking for a penalty at the other end but the referee doesn’t agree with his interpretation.

75 mins: Croatia 2-1 Morocco

Vlasic shoots over

He strikes it well, but it ends up going several feet over the bar in the end.

It was ambitious from outside of the box, but that’s what he’s been brought on to try to do.

72 mins: Croatia 2-1 Morocco

Ounahi booked

He picks up the first yellow card of the day for his protestations at the referee awarding a foul.

70 mins: Croatia 2-1 Morocco

Changes for both sides

Majer and Livaja go off with Mario Pasalic and Bruno Petkovic coming on for Croatia.

El Yamiq also needs to go off with an injury, with Selim Amallah coming on and Amrabat moving into defence.

68 mins: Croatia 2-1 Morocco

Morocco changes

Badr Benoun and Anass Zaroury come on, with Dari and Boufal leaving the field of play.

65 mins: Croatia 2-1 Morocco

Who says football doesn’t matter?
According to the French Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies, more than 780,000 people of Moroccan origin live in France. A visa dispute has made it difficult for their relatives in Morocco to visit them.

But after their two national teams played this week, France has ended its visa restrictions and restored normal consular relations with Morocco.

What Morocco means to the Arab world
“When you watch Rocky, you want to support Rocky Balboa and I think we are the Rocky of this World Cup,” Walid Regragui told reporters, referring to Hollywood actor Sylvester Stallone’s seminal boxer role in the film.

“I think now the world is with Morocco.”

He’s not wrong, of course.

Read Linah Alsaafin’s account of How Morocco gave people from the Global South the power to believe

2h ago (16:13 GMT)
Morocco sloppy at the back
Majer crosses again from a good position but Morocco can’t clear their lines once more. The ball is headed in Bounou’s direction but the keeper spills it out for another Croatia corner.

55 mins: Croatia 2-1 Morocco

Croatia vs Morocco
Modric has been pulling the strings for Croatia [Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera]
2h ago (16:10 GMT)
Ziyech moves into middle of park
It should allow the Chelsea man to get on the ball more and attempt to dictate play.

Majer puts a good ball into the box at the other end, which hits a Morocco body and should be a corner but the referee didn’t see it.

52 mins: Croatia 2-1 Morocco

Reference

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