After the qualification of France, Argentina, Croatia, and Morocco to the semi-finals of the Qatar 2022 World Cup, next Sunday a team will be crowned that leaves a historic mark in the pages of this prestigious tournament held every four years. France, champion in 1998 and 2018, will become the first team to win two consecutive titles since 1962, when Brazil retained the title it won with the legendary Pelé in 1958. Italy was the first to achieve this feat by winning the titles of 1934 and 1938 under the crafty coach Vittorio Pozzo.
Argentina, also a two-time champion like France in 1978 and 1986, will see its crowning revolve around resolving the crisis of its legend Lionel Messi (35 years) with the elusive title after four failed attempts, the closest being finishing as runner-up to Germany in 2014. This title is what the "little flea" is chasing after, to establish himself alongside Pelé and his late compatriot Diego Maradona.
After a shaky start with a loss to Saudi Arabia 1-2 — the first defeat against an Asian team — the Albiceleste made a comeback with victory after victory, the latest and hardest being against the Netherlands via penalties in the quarter-finals, where the team managed by the youngest coach in the finals, Lionel Scaloni, squandered a two-goal lead in the final minutes.
For Croatia, a "glorious" title led by the talented playmaker Luka Modrić will be their first in history, making them a new guest in an elite club led by Brazil with five titles. This small country with a population of just over four million emerged after the breakup of the former Yugoslavia, known for its passion and creativity in various sports. Croatia relies on an iron wall in the defense, albeit aging, that includes Modrić, the Real Madrid star, along with Marcelo Brozović and Mateo Kovačić.
The "Vatreni" are distinguished by their winning mentality, having gone into extra time in 8 of their last 9 knockout matches. Their coach Zlatko Dalić, who has surpassed Japan and Brazil, a favorite, said, "When it comes to penalties, we become the favorites, as if the opponent has already lost."
Morocco remains the surprising guest and the flavor of the tournament; its crowning would not only be the first in its history but also the first for an African or Arab team. Morocco has already amassed achievements in this tournament, having become the first Arab team to reach the quarter-finals and the first African team to qualify for the semifinals.
In the first semi-final on Tuesday at Lusail Stadium between Argentina and Croatia, Messi will bid farewell after a World Cup that is the best "morally" and "technically" for the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner, or the best player in 2018 Luka Modrić. The two talented players have met repeatedly when Messi led Barcelona to glory while Modrić was on the opposite side with rival Real Madrid.
Twenty-four hours later, the last ninth match will be held at Al Bayt Stadium, which accommodates around 68,000 spectators, between France and Morocco in their first encounter at a major tournament. France seeks to reach its fourth final since 1998, establishing itself as a major force in the world of football and the World Cup, alongside Brazil, Germany, Italy — wounded in recent years — and Argentina.
On the other hand, Morocco has left a beautiful history by topping its group in the first round, achieving a goalless draw with Croatia, a win against Belgium, the last World Cup's third place, with a score of 2-0, a 2-1 victory against Canada, and then overcoming strong Spain in the round of 16 via penalties and defeating Portugal 1-0 on Saturday in the quarter-finals, amid unparalleled fan support in Qatari stadiums.
Notably, the squad of coach Walid Regragui, currently suffering from injuries to key players, especially in the defense line, has conceded only one goal, which was an own goal by Naif Aguerd against Canada. Regragui said, whose defense is highlighted by the brilliance of the "Lions of the Atlas" goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, "We do not have the most beautiful performance, but the most beautiful in terms of heart, desire, and even tactics."
This match will carry a special flavor for some Moroccan players who are professionals or born in the French league, such as captain Romain Saïss. It will also feature unique friendships, as Moroccan star Achraf Hakimi tries to stop France's locomotive and top scorer of the tournament Kylian Mbappé (5) on his left side.
