Croatia vs. Morocco: Top Storylines, Odds, Live Stream for World Cup 2022
The third-place game at any FIFA World Cup presents the two teams with a weird situation.
Morocco and Croatia lost in gut wrenching fashion in the semifinals and now they have to come back on Saturday to play one final game in Qatar.
Morocco can use the game as a celebration of its remarkable run in Qatar. The Atlas Lions became the first African side to reach the semifinal at the World Cup.
Croatia can also use Saturday's match as a celebration of sorts to honor its current generation of players.
Saturday will likely be the last time we see Luka Modrić in a World Cup match, as well as a few other key contributors for Croatia over the last decade.
The dynamic of a third-place game at any tournament is weird, but Morocco and Croatia should be able to put on a show with no pressure facing them.
Odds and Match Info
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
Croatia (+140; bet $100 to win $140)
Morocco (+205)
Draw (+240)
Match Info
Date: Saturday, December 17
Start Time: 10 am ET
TV: Fox
Live Stream: FoxSports.com and Fox Sports app
Croatia Legends Likely Saying Farewell to World Cup Stage
The third-place game will serve as a culmination of Croatia's achievements over the last two World Cups.
Croatia reached the final and lost to France in 2018 and then fell to Argentina in the semifinals this time around.
Most of the important contributors to the Croatian success will likely play in their last World Cup games on Saturday.
Luka Modrić is 37, Ivan Perišić is 33, Dejan Lovren is 33 and Andrej Kramarić is 31.
Marcelo Brozovic is right on the line of potentially coming back since he is 30.
The Croatia side will not look the same in four years and Saturday should serve as a celebration of those older players.
Expect Modrić and Perišić to play with freedom in the final third and that could lead to more chances created by both players.
Kramaric has not had a great World Cup, but he could use the third-place game as a chance to finish off some of those opportunities created by Modrić and Perišić.
Croatia played Morocco to a scoreless draw on November 23, but that result does not mean we will see another low-scoring game.
The intensity of a World Cup opener is much different than a third-place game.
The environment inside the Khalifa International Stadium should be looser and that may allow Modrić and others to have one more defining performance on the World Cup stage.
Morocco Looking To Go Out On High After Surprise Semifinal Run
Morocco crushed any expectations that anyone set for them at the World Cup.
The Atlas Lions held four European sides, including Croatia, to clean sheets; they were competitive with France for long stretches of their semifinal clash.
Morocco can use the third-place game to play a bit more of an open game and celebrate the tremendous attacking players in its squad.
Youssef En-Nesyri and Hakim Ziyech had strong World Cups and both players will be on the offensive against a Croatian defense led by 20-year-old Joško Gvardiol.
Saturday's game also gives the lesser-known players in the Morocco squad a chance to impress any scouts that are in attendance.
Azzedine Ounahi could move on from Angers in Ligue 1. Sofyan Amrabat could draw attention that pulls him away from Serie A side Fiorentina.
Morocco could benefit from the familiarity it has with the Croatian squad because of their matchup in the group stage.
One could argue that the Atlas Lions have more motivation to win the third-place game because they want to finish the tournament on a high and can use this as a springboard for long-term success, as well as cementing themselves as the target for African teams in future World Cups.
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