2022 FIFA World Cup: Croatia face Morocco for 3rd place on Saturday in game neither wanted to play

Photo Credit: FIFA

By Rubén Morales Iglesias: Croatia are playing Morocco in the game no team wants to play: the third place match.

The match kicks off at 9:00 am at the Khalifa International Stadium in Ar-Rayyan, Qatar.

The dream of any World Cup team is to win the FIFA Trophy, not to play for third place, which many at times has made it a very anticlimactic match. In fact, many members countries have proposed to FIFA to drop the third place match.

However, while no one wants to play this match, nobody wants to lose it either as the game is not without its rewards. The winners get bronze medals plus a heftier monetary prize. Additionally, to lose the third place match provokes another feeling of disappointment after failing to reach the final.

As it stands, though Moroccan coach Walid Regragui has said he will give those players who haven’t yet played, an opportunity today so they can say they played in the World Cup, he has also said they want to be remembered as Africa’s best ever team. So, let’s see if he goes through with it. After all, this is the farthest that Morocco, not to say an African team, have reached in a World Cup after six tries. Prior to this tournament, their best finish was an 11^th place ranking when they reached the Round of 16 in 1986 in Mexico.

Croatia for their part gained the subchampionship in Russia 2018. While playing for third place is a rung lower, captain Luka Modric has indicated they are playing to win this game. When asked if this was the last we’ll see of him with the Croatian National Team, he said it’s not time to talk about that, that they still had a medal game to play.

Even if it’s somewhat of a letdown for the teams competing in this game, and while sometimes it might look like the teams are willing to just give it up, once the whistle blows no one plays to lose the third place match.

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