CROATIA finished third at the 2022 World Cup with victory over Morocco.
Josko Gvardiol headed Croatia into a lead just moments into the game but the Croatians were not celebrating for long.
Just minutes later Morocco were level as Achraf Dia netted a header of his own, but Mislav Orsic has put the Europeans in front again, curling a stunning strike in off the post.
And this saw the Europeans finish third, four years after being named as runners up in Russia.
- Kick-off: 3pm GMT
- Live stream: BBC iPlayer
- TV channel: BBC One
- Croatia XI: Livakovic; Stanisic, Sutalo, Gvardiol, Perisic; Modric, Kovacic; Kramaric, Majer, Orsic; Livaja
- Morocco XI: Bounou; Hakimi, Dari, El Yamiq, Attiat-Pallah; El Khannouss, Amrabat, Sabiri; Ziyech, En-Nesyri, Boufal
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Goodbye from Khalifa International Stadium
Sixty-three matches down, one to go.
The penultimate game of the World Cup – normally the one that matters least – served up a humdinger of a contest, befitting two nations that have excelled at Qatar 2022.
In the end, it was Luka Modric and Croatia that took bronze, but only after seeing off the battling effort of Walid Regragui’s history-making Moroccan team.
Tomorrow, attention will turn to Argentina and France, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, and the World Cup final.
You won’t want to miss it, and you won’t with us here at SunSport.
Until then, thanks for joining us and goodnight.
Extra! Read all about it!
They said it was the game that didn’t matter, but for Luka Modric and his Croatia teammates, the smiles on their faces at full time said it all.
Dan King looks back on a thrilling afternoon with his match report of Croatia’s 2-1 win over Morocco in the third place play-off.
Whatever happens, at least one little genius of a number 10 has signed off from the World Cup on a high. Luka Modric will watch Lionel Messi try to write the final chapter to his fairytale in today’s final and wonder what might have been. But Croatia’s captain and greatest ever player ended his career on the biggest stage of all as a winner. And the two goals that earned him that pleasure were things of beauty.
Dan King
Modric bows out in style
Luka Modric’s final World Cup performance was every bit as assured and effective as we have come to expect throughout his career.
- 83 touches
- 93% pass accuracy
- 100% take-on success
- 5 duels won
- 2 interceptions
- 7 final third entries
Cro and behold
They not be a vintage class, but Croatia have yet again shown just how hard they are to beat on the world stage.
Credit: @optajoe Twitter Match stats from Khalifa International Stadium
Morocco’s second half endeavour ensured there wasn’t much in the numbers, but it’s Croatia that win out in Qatar.
Full time – Croatia 2-1 Morocco
Referee Abdulrahman Al Jassim calls time on the third place play-off, and the Croatian bench rushes on to the pitch to celebrate finishing third at Qatar 2022!
It’s another extraordinary achievement for a country of 4,000,000 that played their first World Cup in 1998, and follows up from their runners-up spot at Russia 2018.
The Moroccan players are furious at the final whistle, confronting the officials in numbers but when the dust settles, they too will look proudly back at a memorable tournament.
All the scoring took place in the first half when exquisite finishes from Josko Gvardiol and Mislav Orsic sandwiched Achraf Dari’s immediate equaliser.
Croatia 2-1 Morocco
90+6. En-Nesyri header! Over!
The striker gets up above Perisic to meet a cross from the left, and makes the perfect connection.
The Moroccan does everything right, heading back across the stranded Livakovic, but is an inch over the frame of the goal.
We were that close to extra-time.
Croatia 2-1 Morocco
90+4. This time they do manage to get a cross in when Zaroury’s centre is absolutely fizzed towards the near post.
As he’s shown all tournament, Livakovic proves he’s a safe pair of hands.
Croatia 2-1 Morocco
90+3. Morocco haven’t given up.
Amrabat bursts forward with the ball from the back, but his teammates are unable to make room for a cross.
Croatia 2-1 Morocco
90. As the fourth official signals six extra minutes, Hakimi finds space on the right touchline and delivers a gorgeous centre.
En-Nesyri gets up highest but his header clatters into Petkovic at close quarters.
Immediately, the Morocco goalkeeper claims handball, but the referee isn’t interested, and replays show that it cannoned off the Croatian substitute’s back.
Croatia 2-1 Morocco
89. For once, Ziyech’s delivery is an awful one, and crashes straight into his clubmate Kovacic.
Croatia 2-1 Morocco
88. Two minutes to go, and the Croatian supporters in the stadium think they’ve got this one won.
On the pitch, the Moroccans have other ideas and win a free-kick midway inside the Croatia half.
They send everyone bar the goalkeeper up on to the edge of the area.
Croatia 2-1 Morocco
86. Kovacic with the chance to seal victory! Wide!
The Chelsea man gets ahead of Hakimi with great desire, but then demonstrates his shooting ability with an effort pulled the wrong side of the far post.
Croatia 2-1 Morocco
84. Amallah is cautioned for catching Petkovic with his arm, and then it all gets a little out of hand.
Five furious Moroccan players surround the referee, while another group are involved in some pushing and shoving with their Croatian counterparts.
Maybe the third place play-off does matter.
Croatia 2-1 Morocco
82. A corner to Croatia, but the Europeans don’t over commit in sending players forward.
Unsurprisingly, it comes to nothing.
Croatia 2-1 Morocco
80. Ziyech goes looking for Chair at the far post, but his cross is too high for the substitute.
And not just because the QPR man is five foot two.
Croatia 2-1 Morocco
79. And still the Moroccan fans bring the noise.
But can their side muster one last burst?
Croatia 2-1 Morocco
77. The more replays shown of the challenge on Gvardiol, the more it looks a penalty.
I’ve no idea what the VAR officials are up to, perhaps they’ve knocked off for their tea.
Croatia 2-1 Morocco
75. Straight down the other end, and En-Nesyri’s point blank effort is sensationally saved by Livakovic.
Seconds later, Hakimi goes down on the edge of the area, and he too is told to get up.
The referee is now getting it in the neck from both sets of players and benches.
Croatia 2-1 Morocco
74. A brilliant move by Croatia takes advantage of a fantastic burst from the back by Gvardiol to find the centre-back inside the penalty area.
The defender looks set to cap a sensational move, only to be brought down by Amrabat.
It looks a clear penalty, but Abdulrahman Al Jassim waves play-on.
Croatia 2-1 Morocco
71. Substitute Ounahi goes into the book for a petulant show of dissent.
It’s the first yellow card shown by Abdulrahman Al Jassim this afternoon.
Croatia 2-1 Morocco
70. As ever with a flurry of substitutions, any kind of tempo has evaporated.
Vlasic tries to bring it back somewhat with a driving run through the heart of a midfield, and a 25-yard strike over the crossbar.
Croatia 2-1 Morocco
67. Morocco boss Walid Regregui has big problems here, and he’ll be glad that this tournament is almost over.
Shortly after one central defender in Achraf Dari had gone off injured, it seems now that so too will the other.
Jawad El Yamiq has indicated that he’s unable to continue, and all the coach has left on the bench is a midfielder in Selim Amallah.
It looks like the Moroccans are going to have to restructure for the final quarter of the contest.
Croatia 2-1 Morocco
66. Now Croatia make a double switch.
Mario Pasalic and Bruno Petkovic come on for Lovro Majer and Marko Livajo.
Croatia 2-1 Morocco
64. Walid Regragui freshens things up with another two changes.
One of those is enforced with goalscorer Achraf Dari going off with a knock, and he’s replaced in a like-for-like move by centre-back Bard Benoun.
Anass Zaroury for Sofiane Boufal is the other change.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
