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Croatia
Luka Modric led Croatia to third place in what was likely the midfield great's last appearance at the World Cup. The runners-up from four years ago secured another medal by beating Morocco 2-1 in the third-place match on Saturday. Mislav Orsic scored the decisive goal shortly before halftime at Khalifa International Stadium to ensure Modric finished on a winning note, if this does turn out to be his last World Cup match. At the age of 37, that seems likely, even if there are hopes he will lead his country at the 2024 European Championship. Josko Gvardiol put Croatia ahead in the seventh minute, but Achraf Dari evened the score in the ninth. It is the second time Croatia has taken third place. The team also achieved that feat in its first World Cup as an independent nation 1998. After becoming the first African team to reach the World Cup semifinals, Morocco's tournament ended in two losses. But the team's achievements in Qatar will be remembered for the outpouring of pride among
Tears are flowing from soccer's biggest superstars as they make emotional exits from what might be their last World Cup. First it was Neymar. Then it was Cristiano Ronaldo. Could Lionel Messi be next? Momentum is building behind Messi's push to cap his career with the biggest prize in the game. The 35-year-old Argentina playmaker has carried his team to the semifinals, almost in the same way Diego Maradona the man with whom Messi is so often compared led the South American nation to its second and most recent World Cup title in 1986. Now in Argentina's way is Croatia, a country with a population of 4 million which is establishing a reputation as the most stubborn and durable of opponents while also boasting one of soccer's most graceful players in Luka Modric. The teams go head to head at Lusail Stadium also the venue for Sunday's final in a meeting between the last two runners-up at the tournament: Argentina in 2014 and Croatia in 2018. Argentina might have been expected to b
Croatia is going deep at another World Cup, and the team is taking the long route once again. Goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic saved three penalty kicks Monday in Croatia's 3-1 win over Japan in a shootout, securing a return to the quarterfinals for the runner-up in the 2018 tournament. On its run to the final four years ago, Croatia needed extra time in each round in the knockout stage and twice came through a penalty shootout. This time, Mario Pasalic converted the clinching penalty for Croatia after the teams were tied at 1-1 after extra time. Livakovic saved penalties from Takumi Minamino, Kaoru Mitomo and Maya Yoshida, and it was the Dinamo Zagreb goalkeeper who took most of the acclaim from the jubilant Croatia team after the shootout. Japan had been looking to reach the quarterfinals for the first time but fell short again, just like in 2002, 2010 and 2018. The Asian team lost to Paraguay in a penalty shootout in the round of 16 in 2010. Croatia, which also reached the semifi