Belgium, the world's second-ranked team, needed a win over Croatia on Thursday to avoid elimination and reach the World Cup round of 16. The Belgium players had promised unity and urgency in the face of rumors alleging total chaos in the squad, but the Red Devils again came out flat with Leandro Trossard and Dries Mertens leading the attack.
After vowing to f**k Croatia up Sunday, Canada manager John Herdman could only watch in horror as his side showed its extreme World Cup naivety in a 4-1 defeat to the 2018 runners-up.
Canada — the leading side in Concacaf during qualifying — is now the second to exit the tournament, following quickly in the footsteps of the host nation Qatar.
AL KHOR — Croatia's World Cup campaign got off to a stuttering start with a 0-0 draw against a battling Morocco on Wednesday as the 2018 runners-up lacked the punch of the side that went so close in Russia.
Chances were at a premium at Al Bayt Stadium as an even Group F contest produced little goalmouth action, and ended in the third goalless draw in nine games at the World Cup so far.
There were glimpses of goal for both sides, with Nikola Vlasic going close for Croatia at the end of the first half while Noussair Mazraoui had a header saved for Morocco.
Egyptian Essam El-Hadary is the oldest player ever at a World Cup. The goalkeeper was called-up for Russia 2018 and even had the privilege of playing against Saudi Arabia in a group stage game at the age of 45 years and ten days.
Yeah, kudos to Essam.
His record, by the way, will remain untouchable during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. However, that didn't stop us from asking who's going to be the oldest players at the tournament. And well, from two Mexican goalkeepers to stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modrić, here's the answer.
Arabia Saudita, rival de México en el Grupo C del Mundial 2022, terminó su preparación rumbo a Catar con una derrota 1-0 ante Croacia, en un amistoso jugado en el Estadio Prince Faisal bin Fahd.
La diferencia en el juego la hizo el delantero del 1899 Hoffenheim, Andrej Kramarić, quien luego de recibir un pase de Luka Modrić encaró al área desnudando un par de falencias en la zaga que quizás Alexis Vega pueda aprovechar cuando el Tri enfrente a Arabia Saudita el próximo miércoles 30 de noviembre.
To prepare you for the tournament, The18 has launched team-by-team previews for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Here's the Croatia World Cup preview 2022. The Vatreni will play in Group F against Belgium, Morocco and Canada.
World Cup appearances: 6th
Best Finish: Second place (Russia 2018)
FRANKFURT, Germany - Defending champions Italy will face England in their Euro 2024 qualifying group, a repeat of last year's tournament final, following the draw on Sunday in Frankfurt's Festhalle.
The Italians, who beat England 3-2 on penalties at London's Wembley stadium in 2021 to lift the trophy will also play North Macedonia, who prevented Roberto Mancini's side from reaching the World Cup, and Malta in Group C.
To prepare you for the tournament, The18 has launched 2022 World Cup team previews for each of the 32 nations competing in Qatar.
Below you will find each team listed along with a link to those previews that have been published. Check back throughout the buildup to the 2022 World Cup as we publish a complete list of World Cup team previews, updated with the latest on each team participating in the greatest men's soccer tournament in the world.
Scorching temperatures are one of the many reasons Qatar is the most controversial World Cup host of all time. During June and July, the months in which the World Cup is traditionally held, temperatures in the Arab nation peak around 120 degrees Fahrenheit, a temperature at which, unsurprisingly, it is simply unsafe to play a 90+ minute soccer match.