FIFA World Cup: The semifinals are the upcoming stage of the tournament, and Futballnews has all the information you need.
FIFA World Cup 2022 is nearing its conclusion after the quarterfinal matches were completed on Saturday, December 10. The four teams who have advanced to the championship game’s semifinals are Argentina, Croatia, France, and Morocco.
The first country from Africa to qualify for the semifinals is Morocco.
For many teams, the event was an emotional roller coaster filled with surprises and twists. After losing shockingly to Saudi Arabia in their first game of the group stage, Argentina recovered.
The team headed by Lionel Messi then defeated Mexico and Poland, both by scores of 2-0, to win Group C and advanced directly to the round of 16.
They defeated Australia 2-1 in the round of 16 to advance directly to the quarterfinals. The South American team faced the Netherlands in the round of eight and prevailed 4-3 on penalties after the game was drawn 2-2. The semi-final matchup between Croatia and Argentina is officially determined.
Croatia, who finished second in the 2018 competition, has lived up to their reputation and demonstrated that their previous success wasn’t just a one-off. They haven’t lost a game so far in the competition.
Croatia quickly advanced to the round of 16 after drawing 0-0 with Morocco, defeating Canada 4-1, and drawing 0-0 with Belgium.
In the round of 16, they faced Japan, a regional powerhouse, and triumphed 3-1 on penalties after the game was deadlocked 1-1.
After the game ended 1-1 despite going into extra time, Croatia defeated star-studded Brazil 4-2 on penalties in the quarterfinal.
Since 2018, France, the current world champions, appears to have kept up their incredible streak. Only against Tunisia did they falter in the group stage, falling to the African nation 0-1 in that match.
But having defeated Australia 4-1 and Denmark 2-1, France topped Group D and advanced directly to the round of 16. They defeated Poland 3-1 in the round of 16 to go to the quarterfinal.
By defeating England 2-1 in the round of eight, France advanced easily to their second consecutive semifinal.
France is one of the top challengers for the title with only two games left thanks to players like Kylian Mbappé, who has scored the most goals at the FIFA World Cup 2022, and striker Olivier Giroud, who is also among the tournament’s top goal scorers.
They will play Morocco in the semifinal.
The unexpected World Cup contender this year has been Morocco. Since they are a small African nation, few football experts predicted they would advance past the quarterfinals.
However, due to their outstanding play and defense, Morocco has advanced to the semifinals. Due to their undefeated record, their tournament run has been nothing short of a fairy tale.
In the group stage, Morocco defeated Canada by a score of 2-1, defeated Belgium by a score of 2-0, and drew 0-0 with Croatia.
In the round of 16, they faced off against a formidable Spain team and won 3-0 on penalties after the score was deadlocked at 0-0 in extra time. They defeated Portugal, which featured a star-studded lineup, 1-0 in the quarterfinal.
Which teams advanced to the semifinals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup?
| Date | Match |
| Fri, Dec. 9 | Croatia 1 Brazil 1 (Croatia adv. 4-2 on pens) |
| Fri, Dec. 9 | Netherlands 2 Argentina 2 (Argentina adv. 4-3 pens) |
| Sat, Dec. 10 | Morocco 1, Portugal 0 |
| Sat, Dec. 10 | England 1, France 2 |
2022 FIFA World Cup Semi-final – Full Fixture
| Date | Match | Time (ET / GMT) | Stadium |
| Tue, Dec. 13 | Argentina vs. Croatia | 2 p.m. / 7 p.m. | Lusail |
| Wed, Dec. 14 | France vs. Morocco | 2 p.m. / 7 p.m. | Al Bayt |
Which team is likely to win the FIFA World Cup 2022?
Using a data model and the teams that could reach the semifinals, final, and ultimately win the World Cup, FiveThirtyEight conducted a probability test.
| Nation | Make final (%) | Win World Cup (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 64 | 37 |
| France | 66 | 35 |
| Croatia | 36 | 16 |
| Morocco | 34 | 13 |
Semifinal Odds
Argentina vs Croatia
- Argentina to make it to the final: 64%
- Croatia to make it to the final: 36%
France vs Morocco
- France to make it to the final: 66%
- Morocco to make it to the final: 34%
Argentina and France are the two undisputed favorites win the championship, as shown by the data from Fivethirtyeight. On December 13 and 14, we’ll have to wait and watch if the two underdogs can pull off any surprises or if Messi and Mbappé will square off in the grand finale.
But here at Futballnews, we’re betting on France to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
