After 56 games and 18 days of extravaganza, the FIFA World Cup 2022 that started with 32 teams playing the group stage matches is left with the top eight that have booked their quarterfinal berths. Although Brazil, Argentina and France are the current favourites, every team has fought its way up to top eight and stands a chance to take home the prized trophy on December 18.
While top guns Germany and Belgium crashed out from the group stage left their fans dejected, the Round of 16 loss of 2010 champions Spain in a nerve-wracking penalty shootout by minnows Morocco came as another massive shock.
The final day of Round of 16 matches became the biggest talking point in the tournament, with Morocco's Achraf Hakimi helping his team reach the historic Last 8 by converting a penalty into a goal against charged Spaniards. Another impressive display came from Portugal's 21-year-old forward Goncalo Ramos who hit a triple to pip Switzerland 6-1 after Manager Fernando Santos benched stalwart Cristiano Ronaldo.
Since many of the teams in top eight have made this level several times, Morocco's feat is being seen as phenomenal. It has been a historic outing as they will be playing World Cup quarters for the first time when they meet Portugal on Saturday (December 10). This will be Brazil's record 19th Last 8 appearances, and ninth for Argentina and France.
Teams' Route Maps To Quarterfinals
Croatia: The runners-up in Russia 2018 had a shaky start with two goal-less draws and one win in the group stage. Croats first played Morocco, in which they were held for a goal-less draw. Later, they played the underdogs Canada as the Dalic's side thrashed the North American team 4-1 to secure 4 points from two matches. The last group match they played was against Belgium, which again ended up as a goal-less stalemate. Croatia stood second in the group stage with 5 points. Though their World Cup journey till the group stage was like a cakewalk, they faced a stiff challenge against the sturdy Japanese in Round of 16 as the match was drawn and the Modric-captained side won via penalties. The Croats now have an uphill task ahead as they lock horns with five-time champions Brazil in the quarters.
Brazil: Tite's side returned home from the quarterfinals in the previous edition after being beaten by Belgium, and are the biggest favourites this time to take home the World Cup. Brazil's sojourn so far has been rosy as they started with comfortable wins against Serbia and Switzerland in the group stage. They were the first team to reach the Round of 16 this edition. Brazilians steamrolled South Korea 4-1 in the knockout round. Although their star player Neymar Jr missed out two straight games in the group stage, Manager Tite made sure it was an all-round show by the team. Forward Richarlison surely made some impressive attempts to grab eyeballs. Brazil will play Croatia in the quarters. They are definitely the stronger side than Croatia, but then anything can happen in a football game. Also, to seize the winning moment, they truly need to go out with team efforts instead of dependability, which Brazil are known for.
Netherlands: The Dutch aim to compensate for the outing they missed in 2018 as they failed to qualify for the Russia 2018. However, it has been a smooth tourney for The Oranje with three stupendous victories out of the four encounters so far. But the Netherlands did not face a tougher team either in group stage or in the Round of 16. It's going to be a different game in the quarters as the Dutch will face the mighty Argentina, who are one of the favourites. Making strides with a good number of goals, the Netherlands also have potential defence mechanism as they conceded only two goals in four games in the World Cup. Legendary Manager Louis van Gaal, who pointed out flaws in Messi's game ahead of the quarterfinal showdown, will surely put his men to work with a clear strategy when they play Messi's Argentina.
Argentina: The Albicelestes are another strong contender for the Cup not only due to the potential in the team but also because of a strong emotional reason. The two-time world champions look to giving a fitting tribute to the late legend Diego Maradona, under whose leadership they lifted the Cup in 1986. This is the first World Cup since the football hero died in 2020. Driven by Lionel Messi and helmed by Lionel Scaloni, the South American nation now waits to see if these two men can become messiahs in Qatar. Having scored two brilliant goals and a penalty so far at Qatar, Messi is seen by the Dutch as the big man to overpower. There are good chances of the Argentines making the semis. Scaloni's men started the tournament by taking a beating from Saudi Arabia, but did a turnaround to come to winning ways as they defeated Mexico, Poland and Australia in three straight games. They are in the top of their form.
Morocco: Walid Regragui's men emerged as the surprise package of this World Cup, like Costa Rica in 2014 when they won the group stage where they were drawn in alongside England, Italy and Uruguay. Morocco is only the fourth African team to make the quarterfinal in World Cup history and this is the first time the team has made it to the quarters. They defeated Spain in the Round of 16, causing a big upset. It was a moment of disbelief for several fans, said a Reuters report. The feat has been such a big moment for the country that the King of Morocco, Mohammed VI, got into the groove and his celebration video is widely circulating online. Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, whose name is written on his shirt as 'Bono', was hailed for saving crucial penalty shootouts. However, it would be a big task for Morocco to beat Portugal in the quarters before marching into the semis. This team will take home much from this World Cup. Winning the group in which they drew with Croatia and Belgium, Morocco is on a brink of making history.
Portugal: Portugal that defeated Ghana, and Uruguay in the group stage and Switzerland in the Round of 16 without Cristiano Ronaldo have made headlines for their outright dominance. After benching Ronaldo, Manager Fernando Santos believed that the forward has bigger responsibility to shoulder in the quarters. It has been a comfortable tournament for Portugal so far as they have not met a tougher team other than Uruguay. But again, the quarterfinal also looks to be a cakewalk for the Santos' men unless Morocco continue with their miraculous show.
England: After an enriching display in the previous international outings, England entered this World Cup with high expectation from the fans. England started on a high with a 6-2 win against Iran but was left high and dry after playing out a draw against the USA. However, the Southgate men came back to the game and bolstered with a 3-0 victory against Wales. England also beat African powerhouse Senegal in the Round of 16 but the quarters clash with France would be a litmus test. But their midfielder Raheem Sterling flying back home because of a robbery at his home would be a big blow to the team. Sterling has been a boon to the team with two assists in this World Cup. He has a top-notch skillset which the team would miss in the quarters. All eyes are now on England as they face reigning World champions France, who are at the peak of their form.
France: The Cup holders will be looking to make history by winning two back-to-back titles, becoming the third team to achieve such a feat. With Kylian Mbappe, Olivier Giroud and the defenders on top of their form, the contest remains to be one of the most interesting as England are also in a good position to take on. France won the first two matches and lost the third in the group stage. But they did make a statement by beating Poland 3-1 in the Round of 16.
FIFA World Cup 2022 Quarterfinal Schedule
Croatia vs Brazil - December 9, 8.30 PM.
Netherlands vs Argentina - December 10, 12.30 AM.
Morocco vs Portugal - December 10, 8.30 PM.
England vs France - December 11, 12.30 AM.