Croatia Gets the Bronze in FIFA World Cup 2022 by Defeating Morocco 2-1

On Saturday, Croatia and Morocco played the last match of the FIFA World Cup 2022 for the third position. And Croatia ended in the top 3 by defeating gritty Morocco 2-1. With this victory, Croatia secured a top-three finish for the second successive World Cup edition after ending as runner-ups in 2018.

Besides, this is the third time Croatia finished in the top three as the team was third in the 1998 World Cup edition as well. Then, Croatia defeated the Netherlands with a 2-1 on the scoreboard.

The play-off of the teams losing semi-final matches started with a flurry of goals at Khalifa International Stadium. The first goal came in the seventh minute when Josko Gvardiol gave Croatia the lead with a stunning header. However, the brilliant set-piece play couldn’t dent Morocco’s confidence as the opponents levelled the scores two minutes later. Achraf Dar sent the ball to the net for an equalizer in the ninth minute.

However, the Croatian player made the winning shot in the 42nd minute. A few minutes before the first half ended, Mislav Orsic converted an opportunity with a superb shot. And the second half was as exciting as it could get with the 2018 runners-up holding onto their lead.

While many fans considered the bronze medal to be a mere consolation for both teams, players looked eager enough. And, like every other match, a horde of Moroccan supporters turned up for their team at the stadium. However, even the massive supporters couldn’t deter Croatians from their goal.

Including FIFA World Cup 2022, it’s been the 11th consecutive edition when a European team won the play-off match for third place. In 1978, Brazil was the last non-European side to win a third position play-off match versus Italy (2-1).