After three weeks of compelling action, the 2022 FIFA World Cup is rapidly heading towards its conclusion.
Tuesday and Wednesday will see the semifinals, before the final on Sunday at the Lusail Stadium crowns the winners of football’s most prestigious competition.
Here, we give you the lowdown on the remaining contenders in Qatar.
Who’s playing in the semifinals, when, and where?
The first semifinal features Argentina and Croatia, and takes place on Tuesday, December 13, at 22:00 local time at the Lusail Stadium.
With a listed capacity of almost 90,000, the venue is the largest at the World Cup and is located in Lusail City, around 20km to the north of central Doha.
Wednesday, December 14, sees the second semifinal between France and Morocco.
It is also set for 22:00 local time at the Al Bayt Stadium – located in Al Khor, around 35km to the north of Doha. Qatari organizers list the capacity as almost 70,000.
Head-to-head records
Argentina and Croatia have met at two previous editions of the World Cup – in 1998 and 2018 – and both those matches came in the group stages.
In Russia four years ago, it was the Croatians who enjoyed a 3-0 hammering of the South Americans in Nizhny Novgorod, thanks to goals from Modric, Ante Rebic and Ivan Rakitic.
At France 98, Argentina edged a tight contest 1-0.
Outside of those encounters, the pair played a 2014 friendly in London which La Albiceleste won 2-1 – with Messi on the scoresheet through a penalty.
In a 2006 friendly in Basel, Switzerland, Messi was also on target but it was Croatia who won 3-2. A first-ever meeting in a 1994 friendly in Zagreb ended goalless.
Meanwhile, France and Morocco will be facing each other for the 12th time when they play at the Al Bayt Stadium on Wednesday.
Morocco have won just one of those matches – their first-ever contest in an unofficial game way back in 1963.
Since then, France have won seven times, with three games ending in a draw – the last of those being a 2007 friendly.
The clash in Qatar will be the first time the teams have ever met at a major tournament, as Morocco seek to spring another historic shock.
