The bronze medals were awarded at the 2022 World Cup this afternoon as two familiar opponents collided in the third-place play-off in Doha. This is a match that no one ever wants to compete in, as it inevitably means you have seen your dreams of making the final crushed in agonising fashion. That was indeed the case for both Croatia and Morocco, though both nations could still be incredibly proud of their respective journeys in Qatar.
2018 finalists Croatia continue to defy the odds with remarkable tournament performances and matched their illustrious 1998 cohort by wrapping up third place thanks to Mislav Orsic’s stunning winner before haf-time. Morocco, meanwhile, are this year’s World Cup heroes regardless of defeat, having already made history as the first African team ever to reach the semi-finals on football’s grandest stage.
Both sides were dealing with injury issues and made several changes each as they offered up far more excitement than witnessed in the goalless draw between these teams in Group F, with Josko Gvardiol’s thumping early header quickly cancelled out by Achraf Dari before Orsic stole the show. Follow Croatia vs Morocco reaction live below, with expert analysis from Dan Kilpatrick, Simon Collings and Nizaar Kinsella at Khalifa International Stadium.
