The lineup for the quarterfinals of the Qatar 2022 World Cup was completed on Tuesday, following the Round of 16 matches between Portugal and Switzerland. On the last day of the Round of 16, Morocco qualified at the expense of Spain through penalty kicks, while Portugal crushed Switzerland with a score of 6-1. The two teams will meet for the second consecutive edition after facing each other in the group stage of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
The Qatar World Cup witnessed some oddities, especially upon discovering the teams that qualified for the quarterfinals in its 22nd edition.
#### The Group of Death.... All Are Out
When FIFA conducted the World Cup draw earlier, some described Group E, which included Spain and Germany, as the group of death. This group was labeled as such because it featured two former world champions, along with Japan and Costa Rica.
However, the strange reality is that the group of death has become a thing of the past, as it is now the only group not represented by any team in the quarterfinals following the exits of Spain and Japan from the Round of 16.
#### Group F.... A Major Power
The teams of Morocco and Croatia demonstrated the strength of Group F, from which they advanced at the expense of Belgium and Canada. This group is the only one represented by two teams in the quarterfinals after both the Atlas Lions and Croatia managed to remain in the tournament so far.
Morocco topped the group before eliminating Spain, while Croatia advanced as the runner-up and then knocked out Japan.
#### Croatia, An Odd Entity Among the Qualifiers
Croatia became the only team present in the quarterfinals that qualified as a runner-up in the group stage.
The quarterfinals now feature most teams that finished first in their groups: the Netherlands, England, Argentina, France, Morocco, Brazil, and Portugal, leaving Croatia as the sole team among the second-place finishers.
#### Group F.... Solid Defense
Morocco and Croatia boast the best defenses in the tournament among those who have reached the quarterfinals so far. Neither team has conceded more than a single goal across four matches, which holds true for both teams that qualified from Group F.
