Third place playoff: Croatia vs Morocco, Sunday December 18, 2am
‘IDIOT’S POSITION’: MOROCCO COACH SLAMS THIRD-PLACE FIXTURE
On Saturday, a Morocco aspect whose history-making run to the semi-finals caught the world’s creativeness have an opportunity to win the bronze medal.
They’ll face Croatia, the overwhelmed finalists in 2018 who exceeded expectations in Qatar to succeed in the semi-finals solely to be abruptly halted by an impressed Messi and his protégé Julian Alvarez.
Walid Regragui, the coach of Morocco, the primary African or Arab aspect ever to succeed in the final 4 of the World Cup, mentioned the third-place playoff “annoys me a little bit”.
“It’s all the time very troublesome for the 2 groups after such an enormous disappointment as shedding a semi-final, to play one other match two days later,” Regragui mentioned in a press convention.
“So far as I’m involved, you might be within the fool’s place if you’re third or fourth.”
Nonetheless, Croatia ahead Andrej Kramaric mentioned his teammates’ motivation could be excessive as a result of successful a medal would “make you a hero all the time” within the nation of three.9 million folks.
Sunday’s remaining on the 89,000-capacity Lusail Stadium will deliver one of the crucial controversial World Cups in historical past to a detailed.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino shrugged off criticism of the occasion, describing it because the “finest World Cup ever”.
“The World Cup has been an unimaginable success on all fronts,” Infantino mentioned in a press convention on Friday.
“The primary one being the followers, the behaviour, the joyful ambiance, the bringing of individuals collectively. The followers assembly the Arab world, it has been crucial for the way forward for all of us.”
Infantino mentioned the event had exceeded income predictions within the 4 years resulting in 2022, rising to a document $7.5 billion – $1 billion greater than the earlier four-year interval resulting in the 2018 World Cup.
He mentioned FIFA anticipated revenues to extend to $11 billion within the years resulting in the 2026 event, which is able to broaden from 32 to 48 groups. That event is being collectively hosted by america, Canada and Mexico.
“We’re satisfied the affect of the sport might be large,” Infantino mentioned. “It has been large right here and it will likely be unimaginable in North America.”
Initially printed as FIFA World Cup Last 2022 Kick-off time Australia: Croatia v Morocco, Third place playoff, outcomes, schedule
