So far, the 2022 FIFA World Cup this year has been nothing short of surprises, comebacks, cheers, and tears! The Round of 16 is over, and tomorrow the top 8 teams of the tournament compete to make it to the semifinals. Since all of these teams have proven they’re a force to be reckoned with, they must pull out their best tricks if they want to position their team in the semi-finals
Below is a highlight of the teams that have advanced into the next round:
Match: Friday, December 9th (10:00 am EST)
After their win against Japan in a penalty shootout, Croatia claimed their place in the quarterfinal round. The 2018 World Cup finalists played a close game against Japan with a goalless extra time, but their ability to navigate the match down to the last moments pushed them through a 3-1 on penalties.
Within the first 36 minutes of their game against South Korea, Brazil asserted themselves into their quarterfinal spot. With an astonishing 4-1 victory over South Korea, Brazil barely had to break a sweat to claim their position. However, Croatia will put Brazil’s players to the test in their upcoming match tomorrow. No one should be underestimated.
Match: Friday, December 9th (2:00pm EST)
The Dutch booked their place in the quarterfinals after a slow but steady 3-1 win against the USA last Saturday. With saves by the tallest man at the tournament (Andries Noppert), and goals by Depay, Blind, and Dumfries, the team earned their place in the top 8. Some may argue they had the easiest path to the quarterfinal stage, but their skills will be put to the test against a Messi led Argentina.
Argentina witnessed their captains 1,000th game in their Round of 16 match, but also were pushed to their limits against the Socceroo’s. They were lucky to steal the spot from the Australians with a 2-1 win after large frustrations that the opposition was pushing on them. A remake of the 2014 World Cup semifinal, the Netherlands will be looking for revenge for the win that the Argentinians took from them, but Argentina could pull out all the stops to slide into the semi-final match.
Match: Saturday, December 10th (10:00am EST)
The underdogs of the competition, Morocco stunned Spain on penalty kicks to claim their spot in the World Cup quarterfinal. They have now become the first Arab nation to score a spot in the World Cup quarterfinals and only the fourth African country to reach the quarterfinals at the FIFA World Cup tournament. The Moroccans were supported by fans until the final penalty kick where Achraf Hakimi scored the goal to make the deciding decision in the shootout.
A team who may give the Moroccans a run for their money, the Portuguese national team snagged the final spot in the quarterfinals round with an impressive 6-1 win against Switzerland. In case you missed it, Goncalo Ramos made himself an instant star by leading the team to their win with a hat trick. No player has scored a hat trick on their first World Cup start since German striker Klose in 2002. After the show that they put on for us, we can’t wait to see what the quarterfinal round has in store.
Match: Saturday, December 10th (2:00pm EST)
Of course, they save the best quarterfinal match for last! A favorite to win the title, France has met their fans expectations and qualified for the quarterfinals. With a 3-1 win against Poland, Giroud led the team to victory, becoming France’s all-time top goal scorer. Looking to defend their World Cup crown the French are prepared to take on fan favorites, England.
The Three Lions are booked and ready to face off against the reigning champions this Saturday. Undefeated in the tournament so far, the Lions should be pulling out their best tricks if they want to beat out the French team for the spot. With major names to watch for like Walker, Kane, Bellingham, Saka, and Sterling, this is a match you are not going to want to miss.
Go comment on our Instagram to let us know what team you’ll be cheering for during the quarterfinal round! Don’t forget to check out our Pinterest page where we have loads of inspiration on how you and your friends can make watching the quarterfinals extra special.
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