Croatia have earned third place in the 2022 World Cup, defeating Morocco 2-1 in the Third Place Playoffs. The 2018 runners-up were unable to make it to the finals, being eliminated by Argentina, but have finished in the top three for the second consecutive year.
Morocco, on the other hand, were hopeful of ending their campaign on a positive note following their miraculous run. But, missed opportunities prevented that from happening.
Croatia earn third place at 2022 World Cup
Josko Gvardiol opened the scoring early in the game, after heading in a long ball from Ivan Perisic following a set-piece. However, their early lead did not last long, with Achraf Dari equalising only two minutes later.
Mislav Orsic proved to be the difference maker for Croatia, with a curling effort that beat Bono.
Morocco were able to create two great chances in the second half, but were unable to get the equaliser. En-Nesyri was first denied by Bono before hitting the ball over the post very late in the game.
The Atlas Lions have earned the best finish for themselves, and for an African team in the World Cup. On the other hand, Luka Modric earned a rather happy send off even though they were unable to reach the final.
