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Who will win the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar?

Who will win the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar?

  • Total voters
    27
Saj said:
Can't rule Portugal out I think.

They look well-organised with several match-winners.
Click to expand...

Don't think Portugal can win all the way.

They are a good team but not champion-material. They are somewhere between heavyweight and mid-tier.
 
Think it's hard to call at this stage. Quite a few can beat each other on their day but France the standout team so far
 
Brazil and France the only standout teams IMO. They will meet in the final.
 
How immigration ‘made French football better’
From Polish miners to heroes of Algerian independence, immigrants have greatly influenced French football.
On July 12, 1998, France won the World Cup for the first time in its history, thumping a Brazil side that included stars like Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Roberto Carlos in a final at the Stade de France in Paris.

After the final whistle, hundreds of thousands of joyous French fans poured onto the Champs-Elysees to celebrate the 3-0 victory. A picture of Zinedine Zidane, the mercurial midfielder who had scored two goals that night, was projected onto the Arc de Triumph along with the words “Merci ZiZou” – Zidane’s nickname – and “Zidane President”.

Zidane, a second-generation Algerian immigrant from a working-class area of Marseille, had been part of a team that included players of Armenian, Ghanaian, Senegalese and Guadeloupean descent. As his name rang through the streets, many heralded the victory as a historic footballing achievement and a celebration of a new multicultural France united under one flag.

The success appeared to be the perfect antidote to a nation struggling to come to terms with its colonial past. The Algerian War of Independence (1954-62), which ended 132 years of colonial rule and represented the final collapse of the French empire, had only been recognised as a war by the French state in 1999.

The team, typically known as Les Bleus but nicknamed this time “Black, Blanc, Beur” (Black, White and Arab) in the media during the 1998 tournament, was hailed as a shining example of successful integration. French newspaper Le Monde labelled them a “symbol of the diversity and of the unity of the country”. Then-French President Jacques Chirac described them as a “tricolour and multicolour team” that had created a “beautiful image of France and its humanity”.

Just two years later, the French team would go on to win the European Championships, with the hero of France 98, Zidane, being named player of the tournament.

‘Mirage’
Despite the positivity surrounding the team’s success, simmering racial tensions soon began to reappear.

The victories in 1998 and 2000 had been a source of embarrassment for the far-right party, the Front National (FN). Its then leader, Jean-Marie Le Pen, had infamously claimed in 1996 that the France team was “artificial” as it contained too many non-white players. He would later describe the French side as “unworthy” representatives who did not know the words of the country’s national anthem.

In 2000, 36 percent of respondents to a French survey said they thought there were too many players of foreign origin on the national team.

A year later, France played Algeria in Paris for the first time since the North African nation gained independence in 1962. What was supposed to be a moment of reconciliation descended into “a horrible mess”, says Timothee Maymon, a sports journalist focusing on French football. Before the match, the French national anthem was booed. The match was later abandoned after a pitch invasion in the 76th minute.

“We thought that 1998 and 2000 would be the final part of this new France, playing together, winning together, being able to forget about origins,” says Maymon. However, the events that day showed that idea to be a “mirage”, he adds, noting that the national team would later be used by both sides of the political spectrum when debating the issue of immigration.

In 2002, Le Pen unexpectedly advanced to the run-off of the presidential election registering the highest score ever recorded by the French far right.

Maymon says that although the narrative that projected football as the solution to a more inclusive society was politically convenient, it was, in fact, immigration that had “made French football better”.

“In the right-wing of [French] politics, they often say there are no white players, but actually, if we stayed with only white players, we would not have been able to win two World Cups”, he explains, referring to 1998 as well as France’s second World Cup win, four years ago in 2018 in Russia.

He also highlights the Ballon d’Or, a coveted annual football prize, as epitomising French football’s reliance on immigration. Four of France’s five winners are from non-French backgrounds, including Raymond Kopa, the legendary Real Madrid midfielder who came from a family of Polish immigrants; Michel Platini, who is of Italian origin; and Zinedine Zidane and Karim Benzema, who are both of Algerian heritage.

France’s current team, now competing at the Qatar World Cup 2022, is another example of how immigration has shaped French football. Most players in the starting XI have roots from a wide and diverse set of places, including Dayot Upamecano, who is of Bissau-Guinean descent, and Aurelien Tchouameni, who is of Cameroonian descent.

A long and rich history of diversity

The relationship between French football and immigration to the country dates back to the formation of several teams in the first half of the 20th century. These include RC Lens and AS Saint-Etienne, built around close-knit mining communities composed of Polish and Italian immigrants.

One such player was Stefan Dembicki, or Stanis, who holds the record for most goals scored in a professional match in France after netting 16 for RC Lens in a first-round Coupe de France match in 1942.

At the 1938 World Cup held on home soil, France fielded its first Black player, Raoul Diagne, a versatile defender nicknamed “the Black spider” who was born in French Guiana and was of Senegalese descent.

That same year Morocco-born Larbi Benbarek transferred from the club US Marocaine Casablanca to Olympique de Marseille in France, scoring 10 goals in his first season. He would go on to represent his adopted country, France, 19 times and make 113 appearances for the Spanish club Atletico Madrid, where he earned the nickname “the foot of God”. Brazilian superstar Pelé famously said about him, “If I am the king of football, then Larbi Benbarek is the God of it”.

In the 1950s and 1960s, players who had emigrated from France’s colonies and protectorates in the Maghreb region of north Africa started to impact French football significantly.

Rachid Mekhloufi was one such player. Having just won the French Division 1 in 1956-1957 with AS Saint-Etienne, he was selected to join the French World Cup squad. However, midway through preparations, he fled with several other France-based players of Algerian heritage to Algeria during its War of Independence. There, he played for a team formed by the National Liberation Front (FLN), the armed wing of the Algerian nationalist movement.

When Mekhloufi returned to France after the FLN was disbanded in 1962, he received a heroes’ welcome at Saint-Etienne, a club that Maymon supports and says has always understood the “importance of immigration” in its footballing history.

“Mekhloufi was a hero standing for the independence of his country, but also an immigrant who was able to succeed,” he says.

In the early 1970s, France began to restructure its development system after a decline in performance. The result was a sophisticated academy system that recruited and trained young players, many of whom had grown up in neighbourhoods with a high concentration of immigrants.

Over the following decades, many players with roots in France’s former colonies would go on to represent Les Bleus. They included Marius Tresor, widely considered one of the best defenders of all time, who was born in Guadeloupe, and Amadou Tigana, the renowned midfielder born in Bamako, Mali.

In the 1990s and 2000s, many high-profile players with an immigrant background would establish themselves in the French team, including all-time joint leading goal scorer Thierry Henry, born in the Paris suburb of Les Ulis to parents from Guadeloupe and Martinique.

Today, five of the nine players with more than 100 appearances for France are of non-European heritage.

Differing club identities in French football
During the successive waves of migration during the 20th century, French clubs embraced players of colour with differing levels of tolerance, according to Maymon.

Marseille, a port city on France’s south coast, has a long history of immigration, especially from Italy at the beginning of the 20th century and later from Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco.

This influence has shaped Olympique de Marseille, Maymon says. “You can feel it in the stands; there is never a problem with racism among the fans in Marseille.”

Other clubs, however, have struggled with racist factions among their supporters. PSG, founded in 1970, had struggled with racist hooligan groups that had occupied sections of the so-called Kop of Boulogne stand at the Parc des Princes until 2010, when they were banned from the stadium.

The Paris stadium could be a hostile place for Black players to visit. Patrick Vieira, the former French midfielder of Senegalese descent, referring to his experience at the Parc des Princes once said, “I’d have to think twice before setting foot there again.”

Generation Black, Blanc and Beur
After the World cup success of the Black, Blanc and Beur generation, the France team experienced some tumultuous years, including a player revolt during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

However, after narrowly losing the 2016 European Championship final to Portugal, France would win the World Cup again in 2018.

Just as it had been 20 years earlier, the France squad was a melting point of different ethnicities, with 17 of the 23 players in the squad eligible to play for at least one other country.

Among them was Kylian Mbappe, who has a father from Cameroon and a mother from Algeria and was voted the best young player of the tournament. Another standout player of the tournament was Paul Pogba, a Muslim with Guinean parents, who, like Mbappe and many other players in the team, had grown up in the suburbs of Paris.

In the international media, the success of the multiethnic French team was widely-covered and, in most cases, celebrated. US-based South African comedian Trevor Noah joked on The Daily Show after France’s victory that “Africa won the World Cup”.

His comments sparked a strongly worded response from French Ambassador Gerard Araud.

“By calling them an African team, it seems you are denying their Frenchness,” Araud said, adding: “This, even in jest, legitimises the ideology which claims whiteness as the only definition of being French.”

The footballing success of second and third-generation immigrants was not confined to the France team. At the same tournament, 28 players born and trained in France were playing for other teams.

France came to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after a closely contested presidential election race between centrist Emmanuel Macron and nationalist rival Marine Le Pen, the daughter of Jean-Marie Le Pen, earlier in the year.

Le Pen’s campaign centred largely on proposals targeting immigration and Islam, including a proposed ban on Muslim headscarves in public.

Macron eventually won, but Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) party, formerly FN, captured 89 seats in the National Assembly, making it the biggest opposition party in the lower house.

As France advance in the tournament, the hope will be that the success of its multiethnic team will distract from the simmering racial tensions that underpinned the presidential race.

However, in the build-up to Qatar 2022, French newspaper Le Canard published a cartoon depicting Qatari footballers as terrorists, sparking outrage on social media, with users calling out its “blatant Islamophobia” and “racism”.

France dismantled Australia 4-1 in their first group-stage game on November 22, followed by a 2-1 victory over Denmark four days later in a game that saw Mbappe score both goals.

In their final group stage game on November 30, France will face Tunisia, a country with several French-born players in their squad, including Naim Sliti and Wahbi Khazri.

French defender Raphael Varane speaking ahead of the match, said, “We have seen that it [Tunisia] is a team capable of hurting us on the counterattack in space, who presses with lots of energy.

“The Tunisians will fight for a victory, and it will be up to us to counter them.”

Al-Jazeera
 
daytrader said:
How immigration ‘made French football better’
From Polish miners to heroes of Algerian independence, immigrants have greatly influenced French football.
On July 12, 1998, France won the World Cup for the first time in its history, thumping a Brazil side that included stars like Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Roberto Carlos in a final at the Stade de France in Paris.

After the final whistle, hundreds of thousands of joyous French fans poured onto the Champs-Elysees to celebrate the 3-0 victory. A picture of Zinedine Zidane, the mercurial midfielder who had scored two goals that night, was projected onto the Arc de Triumph along with the words “Merci ZiZou” – Zidane’s nickname – and “Zidane President”.

Zidane, a second-generation Algerian immigrant from a working-class area of Marseille, had been part of a team that included players of Armenian, Ghanaian, Senegalese and Guadeloupean descent. As his name rang through the streets, many heralded the victory as a historic footballing achievement and a celebration of a new multicultural France united under one flag.

The success appeared to be the perfect antidote to a nation struggling to come to terms with its colonial past. The Algerian War of Independence (1954-62), which ended 132 years of colonial rule and represented the final collapse of the French empire, had only been recognised as a war by the French state in 1999.

The team, typically known as Les Bleus but nicknamed this time “Black, Blanc, Beur” (Black, White and Arab) in the media during the 1998 tournament, was hailed as a shining example of successful integration. French newspaper Le Monde labelled them a “symbol of the diversity and of the unity of the country”. Then-French President Jacques Chirac described them as a “tricolour and multicolour team” that had created a “beautiful image of France and its humanity”.

Just two years later, the French team would go on to win the European Championships, with the hero of France 98, Zidane, being named player of the tournament.

‘Mirage’
Despite the positivity surrounding the team’s success, simmering racial tensions soon began to reappear.

The victories in 1998 and 2000 had been a source of embarrassment for the far-right party, the Front National (FN). Its then leader, Jean-Marie Le Pen, had infamously claimed in 1996 that the France team was “artificial” as it contained too many non-white players. He would later describe the French side as “unworthy” representatives who did not know the words of the country’s national anthem.

In 2000, 36 percent of respondents to a French survey said they thought there were too many players of foreign origin on the national team.

A year later, France played Algeria in Paris for the first time since the North African nation gained independence in 1962. What was supposed to be a moment of reconciliation descended into “a horrible mess”, says Timothee Maymon, a sports journalist focusing on French football. Before the match, the French national anthem was booed. The match was later abandoned after a pitch invasion in the 76th minute.

“We thought that 1998 and 2000 would be the final part of this new France, playing together, winning together, being able to forget about origins,” says Maymon. However, the events that day showed that idea to be a “mirage”, he adds, noting that the national team would later be used by both sides of the political spectrum when debating the issue of immigration.

In 2002, Le Pen unexpectedly advanced to the run-off of the presidential election registering the highest score ever recorded by the French far right.

Maymon says that although the narrative that projected football as the solution to a more inclusive society was politically convenient, it was, in fact, immigration that had “made French football better”.

“In the right-wing of [French] politics, they often say there are no white players, but actually, if we stayed with only white players, we would not have been able to win two World Cups”, he explains, referring to 1998 as well as France’s second World Cup win, four years ago in 2018 in Russia.

He also highlights the Ballon d’Or, a coveted annual football prize, as epitomising French football’s reliance on immigration. Four of France’s five winners are from non-French backgrounds, including Raymond Kopa, the legendary Real Madrid midfielder who came from a family of Polish immigrants; Michel Platini, who is of Italian origin; and Zinedine Zidane and Karim Benzema, who are both of Algerian heritage.

France’s current team, now competing at the Qatar World Cup 2022, is another example of how immigration has shaped French football. Most players in the starting XI have roots from a wide and diverse set of places, including Dayot Upamecano, who is of Bissau-Guinean descent, and Aurelien Tchouameni, who is of Cameroonian descent.

A long and rich history of diversity

The relationship between French football and immigration to the country dates back to the formation of several teams in the first half of the 20th century. These include RC Lens and AS Saint-Etienne, built around close-knit mining communities composed of Polish and Italian immigrants.

One such player was Stefan Dembicki, or Stanis, who holds the record for most goals scored in a professional match in France after netting 16 for RC Lens in a first-round Coupe de France match in 1942.

At the 1938 World Cup held on home soil, France fielded its first Black player, Raoul Diagne, a versatile defender nicknamed “the Black spider” who was born in French Guiana and was of Senegalese descent.

That same year Morocco-born Larbi Benbarek transferred from the club US Marocaine Casablanca to Olympique de Marseille in France, scoring 10 goals in his first season. He would go on to represent his adopted country, France, 19 times and make 113 appearances for the Spanish club Atletico Madrid, where he earned the nickname “the foot of God”. Brazilian superstar Pelé famously said about him, “If I am the king of football, then Larbi Benbarek is the God of it”.

In the 1950s and 1960s, players who had emigrated from France’s colonies and protectorates in the Maghreb region of north Africa started to impact French football significantly.

Rachid Mekhloufi was one such player. Having just won the French Division 1 in 1956-1957 with AS Saint-Etienne, he was selected to join the French World Cup squad. However, midway through preparations, he fled with several other France-based players of Algerian heritage to Algeria during its War of Independence. There, he played for a team formed by the National Liberation Front (FLN), the armed wing of the Algerian nationalist movement.

When Mekhloufi returned to France after the FLN was disbanded in 1962, he received a heroes’ welcome at Saint-Etienne, a club that Maymon supports and says has always understood the “importance of immigration” in its footballing history.

“Mekhloufi was a hero standing for the independence of his country, but also an immigrant who was able to succeed,” he says.

In the early 1970s, France began to restructure its development system after a decline in performance. The result was a sophisticated academy system that recruited and trained young players, many of whom had grown up in neighbourhoods with a high concentration of immigrants.

Over the following decades, many players with roots in France’s former colonies would go on to represent Les Bleus. They included Marius Tresor, widely considered one of the best defenders of all time, who was born in Guadeloupe, and Amadou Tigana, the renowned midfielder born in Bamako, Mali.

In the 1990s and 2000s, many high-profile players with an immigrant background would establish themselves in the French team, including all-time joint leading goal scorer Thierry Henry, born in the Paris suburb of Les Ulis to parents from Guadeloupe and Martinique.

Today, five of the nine players with more than 100 appearances for France are of non-European heritage.

Differing club identities in French football
During the successive waves of migration during the 20th century, French clubs embraced players of colour with differing levels of tolerance, according to Maymon.

Marseille, a port city on France’s south coast, has a long history of immigration, especially from Italy at the beginning of the 20th century and later from Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco.

This influence has shaped Olympique de Marseille, Maymon says. “You can feel it in the stands; there is never a problem with racism among the fans in Marseille.”

Other clubs, however, have struggled with racist factions among their supporters. PSG, founded in 1970, had struggled with racist hooligan groups that had occupied sections of the so-called Kop of Boulogne stand at the Parc des Princes until 2010, when they were banned from the stadium.

The Paris stadium could be a hostile place for Black players to visit. Patrick Vieira, the former French midfielder of Senegalese descent, referring to his experience at the Parc des Princes once said, “I’d have to think twice before setting foot there again.”

Generation Black, Blanc and Beur
After the World cup success of the Black, Blanc and Beur generation, the France team experienced some tumultuous years, including a player revolt during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

However, after narrowly losing the 2016 European Championship final to Portugal, France would win the World Cup again in 2018.

Just as it had been 20 years earlier, the France squad was a melting point of different ethnicities, with 17 of the 23 players in the squad eligible to play for at least one other country.

Among them was Kylian Mbappe, who has a father from Cameroon and a mother from Algeria and was voted the best young player of the tournament. Another standout player of the tournament was Paul Pogba, a Muslim with Guinean parents, who, like Mbappe and many other players in the team, had grown up in the suburbs of Paris.

In the international media, the success of the multiethnic French team was widely-covered and, in most cases, celebrated. US-based South African comedian Trevor Noah joked on The Daily Show after France’s victory that “Africa won the World Cup”.

His comments sparked a strongly worded response from French Ambassador Gerard Araud.

“By calling them an African team, it seems you are denying their Frenchness,” Araud said, adding: “This, even in jest, legitimises the ideology which claims whiteness as the only definition of being French.”

The footballing success of second and third-generation immigrants was not confined to the France team. At the same tournament, 28 players born and trained in France were playing for other teams.

France came to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after a closely contested presidential election race between centrist Emmanuel Macron and nationalist rival Marine Le Pen, the daughter of Jean-Marie Le Pen, earlier in the year.

Le Pen’s campaign centred largely on proposals targeting immigration and Islam, including a proposed ban on Muslim headscarves in public.

Macron eventually won, but Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) party, formerly FN, captured 89 seats in the National Assembly, making it the biggest opposition party in the lower house.

As France advance in the tournament, the hope will be that the success of its multiethnic team will distract from the simmering racial tensions that underpinned the presidential race.

However, in the build-up to Qatar 2022, French newspaper Le Canard published a cartoon depicting Qatari footballers as terrorists, sparking outrage on social media, with users calling out its “blatant Islamophobia” and “racism”.

France dismantled Australia 4-1 in their first group-stage game on November 22, followed by a 2-1 victory over Denmark four days later in a game that saw Mbappe score both goals.

In their final group stage game on November 30, France will face Tunisia, a country with several French-born players in their squad, including Naim Sliti and Wahbi Khazri.

French defender Raphael Varane speaking ahead of the match, said, “We have seen that it [Tunisia] is a team capable of hurting us on the counterattack in space, who presses with lots of energy.

“The Tunisians will fight for a victory, and it will be up to us to counter them.”

Al-Jazeera
Click to expand...

Indeed.

Without immigrants, Frenchies probably wouldn't have won a single world title. Zidanne was an immigrant too.
 
I'm not a fan of changing the whole team just to rest players.

France looked disjointed today.

Hopefully not a decision that will backfire for Deschamps.
 
As it stands...
Canada 0-1 Morocco

That goal has put Morocco in prime position to advance as Group F winners.
 
o8u450M.png
 
Who could have predicted that Morocco would top the group! win or lose from here, what an outstanding tournament they have had. Tremendous spirit and so much class!
 
shaz619 said:
Who could have predicted that Morocco would top the group! win or lose from here, what an outstanding tournament they have had. Tremendous spirit and so much class!
Click to expand...

Amazing from Morocco! Playing with passion and confidence. Sure it was only Canada but they looked great.

They will play Germany or Cost Rica imo, unless Spain mess up against Japan. I think they can beat Germany or CR, to make the 1/4s
 
KingKhanWC said:
Amazing from Morocco! Playing with passion and confidence. Sure it was only Canada but they looked great.

They will play Germany or Cost Rica imo, unless Spain mess up against Japan. I think they can beat Germany or CR, to make the 1/4s
Click to expand...

We should watch their Rd 16 game in Morocco, there will be scenes if they go through inshaAllah

Yes, Germany are not the side they use to be. And their pre match tactics were completely out of character. If Morocco go 1 up early, they will panic
 
Morocco have been fantastic.

What a story.
 
Japan beating Germany and Spain in the group stage, wowzers.
 
We may see these semi-final games:

France vs Spain
Argentina vs Brazil

I expect Brazil vs France in the final but could very well be Argentina vs France.
 
sweep_shot said:
We may see these semi-final games:

France vs Spain
Argentina vs Brazil

I expect Brazil vs France in the final but could very well be Argentina vs France.
Click to expand...

Could be 2 fascinating matches if it was these 2 semi-finals.
 
How the knockout bracket is shaping up heading into the final day of the group stage:

2.jpg
 
Netherlands and Argentina both looked really good in their knockout games today. . . .
 
<b>Quarter-final fixtures</b>

Friday December 9:
Croatia vs Brazil - Kick-off 3pm
Netherlands vs Argentina - Kick-off 7pm

Saturday December 10:
Morocco vs Portugal - Kick-off 3pm
England vs France - Kick-off 7pm
 
Morocco? Could they do it?

Failing which, England will never get a better chance to win this Cup.
 
It was in mid-air on the final leg to Doha that Hassan realised exactly what lay in store. He was travelling from Paris, via Istanbul, with his friends Manal and Zouhair after hours of searching for a ticket to Morocco against Spain finally paid off. “I didn’t understand what I was seeing and hearing,” he says. “There were Egyptians, Jordanians, Iraqis, Yemenis – all of them had left their families and their jobs, just to come and support Morocco.”

Hassan pulls up a video on his phone: almost every passenger is on their feet, chanting his homeland’s name. It was Monday night and, within 24 hours, they would witness history. Morocco had never reached the last eight of a World Cup before; if they defeat Portugal on Saturday they will do what nobody from their continent has ever managed, breaking Africa’s semi-final duck at last.

“Sometimes it feels like Morocco is hosting this tournament,” Hassan says. He is hardly exaggerating. The three are walking along Doha’s Corniche, a few minutes from what has become the supporters’ hub of Souq Waqif. Now three quarters of the teams have gone home, the huge Moroccan and Argentinian contingents have the run of the place. They were prominent all along but there is a subtle difference now. Those draped in the red flag with the five-pointed green star are almost as likely to come from other countries, speak in subtly different dialects and be steeped in variations of the same culture. Morocco carry the hopes of the Arab world and everyone is onboard.

It is a marvel that reflects one of this tournament’s many parallel, sometimes awkwardly jarring dimensions: for fans from countries in the Middle East and north Africa, Qatar 2022 has been a chance for a generally underrepresented football region to be seen and heard. It is a powerful common cause, transcending national boundaries and local antagonisms. Success means something extra. The atmosphere in the Souq and at games has been loud, vivid, colourful, celebratory, but at the same time respectful and gentle.

“We’re all the same country, the same team,” says Aymen, who moved to Qatar five years ago from the Tunisian city Sousse. “I watched Tunisia’s games at the stadium but after they were knocked out the decision was simple: get behind Morocco and see how far they can go,” he says. “Their victory is a victory for every Arab.” Ahmed, who is from south-west Morocco and works in Doha as a waiter, says: “It’s an incredible feeling to see all our countries coming together like this.”

There is a cautious sense in a few quarters that something has changed. Nourredine, who has travelled from Morocco and identifies as Arab and Berber, says he had previously felt his countrymen were looked down by Arabs from the Middle East. He has seen no sign of that in the past three weeks, only kinship, and feels encouraged; it is the same for Fadel, who is from close neighbour Mauritania and has lived in Doha for 12 years. “The passport is nothing to us,” he says. “I feel Arabic, and that’s it: we’re not asking each other where we are from.”

Fadel is with Mohammed, who describes greeting several Moroccan friends who had visited for the Spain game on a round trip lasting less than one day. Hassan and his companions did not have time to tell their employers that they would be unavailable for a chunk of this week after his all-night trawl for tickets had borne fruit; they extended their trip after getting lucky again for the Portugal game. Manal’s brother will join them: he is flying over from Casablanca on one of seven planes that sold out in minutes.

“We are living a dream,” says Hassan, who is still noticeably hoarse three days after Achraf Hakimi’s historic shootout winner. “We had to take a risk but I don’t regret coming here. One day we will be proud to tell our children that we were there in the stadium for Morocco’s first quarter-final. And it’s amazing to have everyone behind us.”

The crowd at Al Thumama Stadium will be, if recent evidence is anything to go by, at least 80% in favour of Morocco. Many others will watch elsewhere in the city: estimates suggest well over 50,000 Moroccans could be in town. There are parallels to 2010, when all of Africa appeared to coalesce around Ghana for their tie with Uruguay. That night a different dream was scuppered by Luis Suárez and a disastrous run of penalties; this time up to 450 million Arabs hope to go one step further. “We have a feeling we can do it,” Manal says. Zouhair agrees, and adds: “If you don’t believe once you’re in a quarter-final, I don’t know when you’re going to believe.”

Will they be tempted to keep their bosses waiting a few more days if the impossible becomes real? Manal and Zouhair shake their heads: the trip of a lifetime will have to end on Sunday, come what may. Hassan cannot quite bring himself to say it. “I might have the possibility, I’ll have to think about it,” he says, a mischievous glint crossing his eyes. There may not be much to consider if Morocco keep flying the regional flag a little longer
Click to expand...

https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...-hopes-entire-arab-world-qatar-2022-world-cup

Morocco have united Arabia and Africa! They have such a powerful aura right now.
 
MenInG said:
Morocco? Could they do it?

Failing which, England will never get a better chance to win this Cup.
Click to expand...

I don't think England have much of a chance. They have to get through France and Brazil/Argentina possibly.

Brazil are likely to eat England alive.
 
Never thought Morocco would come to quarterfinal. Pleasant surprise really.

I hope Morocco or Argentina will lift the trophy. If not, Brazil hopefully.
 
sweep_shot said:
Why not Brazil?

Also, Argentina is not out yet. They have fairly easy opponents (Poland and Mexico).
Click to expand...

Told you Brazil won't win :)

They choke against the top European sides at world cups.

Croatia what a team. always punch above their weight.
 
Heisenberg111 said:
Told you Brazil won't win :)

They choke against the top European sides at world cups.

Croatia what a team. always punch above their weight.
Click to expand...

It was an anomaly. Brazil are better than Croatia.

Anyway. I think Argentina, France, or Morocco may lift the trophy.
 
Brazil out, that was sad. But they can only blame themselves.

Now over to Argentina, hope they don’t mess it against the Dutch.
 
Sad to watch Brazil to go out who played better attacking football for 115 minutes but got loose in last five minutes.

Not their day.
 
sweep_shot said:
It was an anomaly. Brazil are better than Croatia.

Anyway. I think Argentina, France, or Morocco may lift the trophy.
Click to expand...

You can't call it anomaly, remember when you spoke about Croatia vs Japan(or some similar game), you were specific about who won on penalties, give credit where its due Croatia was better prepared to take on Brazil.
Brazil just plays fancy football since Neymar.
 
Manager101 said:
Sad to watch Brazil to go out who played better attacking football for 115 minutes but got loose in last five minutes.

Not their day.
Click to expand...
Yes, I was hoping they knock out Argentina, now Argentina have a clear path to Finals. But same can be said about Spain, they played better than Morocco, in the end only winning matter
 
As of now, Argentina vs France in the final is the likeliest. But, you never know. We may see more upsets.
 
Croatia, anyone?

==

Croatia, who were beaten finalists in the 2018 World Cup, face Brazil at the Education City Stadium on Friday afternoon with a place in the semi-finals on the line.

Brazil finished top of Group G before laying down a World Cup marker with an impressive 4-1 victory over South Korea in the last-16 stage.

Croatia, meanwhile, finished second in Group F despite winning just one of their group games and moved into the quarters after beating Japan on penalties.

‘Our greatest game of the World Cup might still be ahead of us,’ Modric said. ‘We have done a great thing by reaching the quarter-finals – but we want even more.

‘Brazil are always one of the big favourites in every World Cup, but what they have shown in this tournament is that this time they deserve to be favourites.

‘We have faced Brazil before on several occasions and not won. We believe this can change.

‘We will have to play at a high tempo, keep them under control, be strong and assertive and not let them out of sight. Like I say, Brazil are the favourites – but we have seen that even the favourites can be beaten.’

Read more at:

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/fif...sedgntp&cvid=f5142fc8350b47299d649d68305281f6
 
Dreaming is free but to do it is different.” Romain Saïss could hardly have put it better. Morocco have written themselves, a continent and a region into football folklore and the impact could be priceless. Every underdog, which in practice also means every African country, arrives at a World Cup with big hopes and the occasional bold proclamation but the Atlas Lions have delivered in a way none of them has been able to match.

Before the tournament Walid Regragui, their manager, had warned: “One should not have too many expectations about this team.” Saïss, the captain and former Wolves defender, had suggested himself that a last‑16 place should be their target. Morocco were a low-key entrant to Qatar 2022 and never let themselves get carried away. The dream has increased in scope with every hurdle jumped; its rewards are already priceless.

“We want to keep making history,” Saïss said. On the face of things it will be a tall order against France, especially given the extent of Morocco’s walking wounded. Three of the back four that finished against Portugal were deputies; a second-half injury to Saïss, who was taken off on a stretcher and looked distraught at the time, was part of the reason. “I hope it’s going to be OK but, if I feel it’s too difficult, I won’t take any risk and put my team in trouble just to play the semi-final,” he said, cutting a much more upbeat figure in the hours after full time.

Such selflessness has helped to bring Morocco this far. Regragui has produced a minor miracle in coaxing painstaking defensive contributions from Hakim Ziyech and Sofiane Boufal, neither of whom was renowned for such diligence. One bonus of demanding contributions deep in defensive territory is that both are confident enough to execute some of the extraordinary flicks, passes and turns that fashion attack from defence in a few dizzying instants and are a beguiling hallmark of this side. No team at this tournament has broken opponents’ presses in such inventive fashion.

Sofiane Amrabat, the outstanding midfielder, explained how Morocco are reaching into hidden reserves. “We are very tired but there is no choice,” he said. “I wasn’t fresh but this is the World Cup and you must give everything you have: run like crazy until the end.”

He did exactly that. One slalom out of trouble and through Portugal’s midfield in injury time made a mockery of suggestions Morocco were spent and it is hard to imagine the degree of willpower, coupled with ability to remain so clear-headed, that was required to pull through at that stage. “I’ve already played almost 30 games this season in three or four months,” Amrabat said. “It’s very hard but you have no choice. Everyone has to go until the end and ask the maximum from himself, from his body.”

Morocco have rewritten the rules of possibility. The thought that a left-back from the Casablanca club, Wydad AC, might start a World Cup semi-final would never have seemed credible but Yahia Attiyat Allah showed on Saturday that he will be more than capable of competing if Noussair Mazraoui has not recovered from illness and injury. Achraf Dari, who came on for Saïss and showed no fear of putting his head where it might hurt most, had been his clubmate until joining Brest in July.

These things matter: they change everything, opening up the possibility that a headlong dash to Europe is not the only path to fulfilment. During the group stage it was common to sit in on African teams’ press conferences and hear, particularly from Ghana’s eloquent coach Otto Addo, why the continent’s attempts to break new ground are hamstrung by poor representation at World Cups. Little margin for error is possible with five slots. “If they had 10 African teams, perhaps five would get to the quarter-finals,” Regragui said after Morocco’s draw with Croatia, which raised few eyebrows at the time. “African teams need to be aware we are elite teams.”

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Achraf Hakimi’s mum gives him a kiss on the cheek after his winning penalty against Spain in the last 16
Players’ mums take centre stage as Morocco make history at World Cup
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Another of Regragui’s points back then was that Africa’s sides “often end up losing right at the end”. No longer. That spectre was thoroughly dismissed in the closing stages, swept away after Yassine Bounou had denied Cristiano Ronaldo the kind of ending he used to take for granted. When the Morocco substitute Zakaria Aboukhlal ran clear only to miss the most inviting of chances to settle things the ghosts of Ghana in 2010 and, perhaps less painfully, the fine Senegal and Cameroon sides that preceded them loomed large. But this time there was no cruel twist: just sheer proficiency. The removal of that mental barrier shifts the entire conversation for Africa and, quite conceivably, for traditional outsiders in general.

“The 22 players, how we defend, our fighting spirit,” Amrabat said when asked about Morocco’s secret. They have more strings to their bow than that but it has more than paid off to be self-effacing so far. Then came the bigger question: could they dare think of winning the entire thing?

“Yes, why not?” he replied in a millisecond. Morocco have earned their right to reach for the stars.
https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...-has-changed-what-it-means-to-be-the-underdog
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They have Africa and the Arab/Muslim world and football fans in general on their side. It would be the greatest sporting achievement, ever!.
 
While speaking to Sports18, Figo said the defeat against Morocco is the responsibility of Santos, adding that you cannot keep Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench and win the World Cup.

"You can't win a Football World Cup with Ronaldo on the bench. Alright, you won against Switzerland? Great result! But can you do this every game? No. Leaving Ronaldo out was a mistake, this loss is on the team management and the manager," said Figo.

There were several reports of tension within the Portugal camp after Ronaldo was dropped from the starting XI for the round of 16 and quarter-final games. However, Santos came out and called Ronaldo a great player and added that he has no regrets over his decision to bench him.

"No, I don't think so, no regrets. This was a team that played very well against Switzerland. Cristiano is a great player, he came in when we thought it was necessary. No, I have no regrets," Santos said after Portugal's exit from the World Cup.

Cristiano Ronaldo came into the game early in the second half but failed to have any impact. Playing at the top of the attack, Ronaldo had a few chances from outside the box, but hit the ball straight into the hands of the goalkeeper.

This match, the 196th of his international career, possibly marks the end of 2022, given the fact that he is currently without a club after separating from Manchester United.

As Portugal sank into the ground, the Atlas Lions let out a huge roar of victory after becoming the first African nation in the history of the competition to reach the semi-final stages. They will take on France in the semi-final on

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/fif...sedgntp&cvid=6b06cf1ff17d4e7b9d9138fa623f257a
 
Lionel Messi's presence will give Argentina a "special advantage" against Croatia in their World Cup semi-final, says defender Nicolas Tagliafico.

Argentina's progress to Tuesday's match has largely been inspired by Messi, the forward scoring four and assisting two of their nine goals.

"He has always been like this," said Lyon left-back Tagliafico.

"For us he is our captain and our leader. He is the one pushing us and motivating us."

Messi will equal Germany great Lothar Matthaus' 25-match tournament appearance record against the 2018 World Cup finalists at Lusail Stadium (19:00 GMT).

The 35-year-old also has other personal milestones in view as he looks to lead Argentina to a first triumph since 1986, in his fifth and likely last World Cup.

As well as being Argentina's joint-highest goalscorer alongside Gabriel Batistuta in the competition with 10, Messi is one assist away from equalling Diego Maradona's overall record of eight at World Cup finals.

"He is the one who gives us that special advantage when we are on the pitch," added Tagliafico.

"We know we have Messi and it is a great source of motivation and hope because we all know that we can contribute and give our best. We are really happy to have Messi as our captain.

"With everyone's support we are all working together to achieve our dreams, and it is the most beautiful thing to do it with Messi by our side."

With a population of less than four million, Croatia head coach Zlatko Dalic says advancing past Argentina to reach a second successive World Cup final would have to be considered his nation's greatest footballing achievement.

Victory for Croatia on Tuesday would also see them become only the second side after Germany in 2014 to eliminate both Brazil and Argentina in the knockout stages of the same World Cup.

"The semi-final match against England in the last World Cup [in 2018] was the greatest match of all time, the game against Brazil comes in second," Dalic said.

"If we win tomorrow that would make it the greatest historical game for Croatia of all time.

"We are among the four best teams in the world - that is an extraordinary success for Croatia. It is a great thing for two World Cups in a row to be in the four best national teams in football.

"We want more. We are playing the great Argentina, a terrific team led by Lionel Messi. They are highly motivated and under more pressure than Croatia at this moment in time."

Meanwhile, Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni has defended his players over accusations of misconduct and poor sportsmanship following their bad-tempered penalty shootout win over the Netherlands in the quarter-finals.

Argentina players mocked their Dutch opponents at the end of the match and Fifa subsequently opened disciplinary proceedings against both sides after the encounter saw a World Cup record of 18 yellow cards issued.

"The previous game was played the way we had to play - for both teams. That's football," Scaloni said.

"In some games things can happen like this. There can be arguments but that's all. That's why there's a referee.

"We need to put an end to this idea of thinking Argentina behave like this. We lost to Saudi Arabia and we didn't say anything.

"We won the Copa America in Brazil and experienced the most sporting behaviour with [Lionel] Messi, [Leandro] Paredes, Neymar, who were all sitting together in the tunnel in the Maracana [Stadium]. I'm really not convinced of this idea of unsporting behaviour."

TEAM NEWS

Argentina will be without the suspended Marcos Acuna and Gonzalo Montiel, with Tagliafico set to come in at left-back.

However, both Angel di Maria and Rodrigo de Paul will be fit to play for Scaloni's side.

Croatia boss Dalic has no injury or suspension concerns and will be able to select from a fully fit squad after Borna Sosa and Mislav Orsic recovered from illness.

MATCH FACTS

This is the third World Cup meeting between Argentina and Croatia, and first in the knockout stages. Argentina won 1-0 in 1998, before Croatia's 3-0 win in the 2018 tournament in Russia.

Argentina are looking to reach the World Cup final for the sixth time, a figure bettered only by Germany with eight. They've never been eliminated at the semi-final stage before, most recently beating the Netherlands in 2014.

Argentina have won just one of their past seven World Cup games against European sides (D3, L3), beating Poland 2-0 in the group stage this year. However, two of those three draws have resulted in penalty shootout victories.

Croatia were losing finalists in 2018, and could become the fourth European nation to reach consecutive World Cup finals after Italy (1934, 1938), Netherlands (1974, 1978) and Germany (1982, 1986, 1990).

Croatia have won all four of their penalty shootouts at the World Cup, knocking out Japan and Brazil in the last 16 and quarter-finals in 2022 respectively. The only nation to win more penalty shootouts in the competition are Argentina, with five.

BBC
 
Can't see anyone stopping France. Think it will be a rematch of the last Final.

France 3 Croatia 1
 
It will be an Argentina-France final, and a very 50-50 game IMO.

France are not as good as last time, they are certainly beatable by Argentina. They were outplayed by England for large parts of that QF, needed Giroud to bail them out with a deflected header as England were taking control.

Mbappe vs Messi will be an amazing story for the final.
 
Written in the stars - Argentina to win?

The perfect farewell for Messi perhaps.
 
I foresee an Argentina vs France final. Morocco is a one trick pony - a solid defence. They can be taken apart & expect France to be clinical about it.
 
Greece won the Euros in 04 as a one trick pony. Park the bus and score from one cross / a corner
 
James said:
Greece won the Euros in 04 as a one trick pony. Park the bus and score from one cross / a corner
Click to expand...
Amazing. I rooted for them once their antics started in knockouts but Morocco a much better team than simply defence though a massive upgrade on opponents today.

I'd like them to surprise France by going on the attack early on to try and nick goals to sit on as opposed to just sitting back.
 
I think it would be brilliant to see an African nation win the FIFA World Cup. Pele’s prediction from long ago, albeit late, would finally come true.

Everyone loves an underdog, and it would finally break the European-South American stranglehold on the World Cup.

Up to now it’s only been “big football nations” who have won the World Cup as well, so this would break new ground for Morocco itself and for the sport as a whole. It’s the best outcome.
 
Argentina v Morroco will be amazing final.
Always been fan of Argentina and will be great for Messi to win the World Cup and be remembered as one of the greatest players.
If it is Morroco v Argentina final will be happy whoever wins :).
 
SpiritOf1903 said:
Amazing. I rooted for them once their antics started in knockouts but Morocco a much better team than simply defence though a massive upgrade on opponents today.

I'd like them to surprise France by going on the attack early on to try and nick goals to sit on as opposed to just sitting back.
Click to expand...

The opposite happened. The Moroccan fortress was breached early today. Hopefully they can make it up soon.
 
Argentina v France final.

Should be a cracker.

I fancy Argentina to win it.
 
I want Argentina to win it for Messi but I fear this is what's going to work against them because it's his last chance.

France are the defending champions but they've been here before as they've already accomplished this prize.

All the pressure is on Argentina, especially Messi but I hope they rise up to the occasion and win it.
 
It would be a fairytale ending for Messi if Argentina can win the final.

He can surpass Madarona in terms of accomplishment if he can win this one.
 
The tactical change backfired sadly. Morocco could've replicated previous rounds bit Saiss bring a passenger shouldn't have started.

This may not happen again for an African team or maybe it is the seeds of possibility that have been down. Morocco have always been the trailblazer.

France are by far the strongest team in the world. Argentina haven't played anyone at their level. This could be a French stroll.
 
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Argentina is a one man team whereas france has a few stars in the team. Cheering for morocco
 
France fans are crying :))) Argentina 🇦🇷 World Cup champions


Messi Messi Messi The Greatest Ever :14:

:pkflag

:yahoo :yahoo :yahoo
 
What do you guys think of the Argentianian keeper's behaviour at the end? I hope the Argentinian FA and FIFA punish him for what he did with the glove trophy. You have children watching all over the world and one of the stars of the night resorts to such immature and disgusting behaviour.
 
bones said:
What do you guys think of the Argentianian keeper's behaviour at the end? I hope the Argentinian FA and FIFA punish him for what he did with the glove trophy. You have children watching all over the world and one of the stars of the night resorts to such immature and disgusting behaviour.
Click to expand...

He did the same after winning the best keeper award in Copa America. A great GK but an absolute tool with no respect for anyone except Messi.
 
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