Having narrowed the field to just four teams, the 2022 Qatar World Cup Semi-Finals promise to be more exciting than ever. There are no more untested squads left. After losing to Croatia in a penalty shootout, betting favorites Brazil are now out.
However, Argentina, one of their CONMEBOL opponents, are still active. Even though Lionel Scaloni and his main star Lionel Messi have absorbed some serious hits during the competition, they have managed to get to the semifinals.
France and Morocco, two French-speaking countries, will face off in the other semifinal. The Europeans beat England in a fun match, while Morocco upset Spain and Portugal to advance. The Atlas Lions are the Cinderella story of Qatar since they are the first African team to get to this stage.
The four possible outcomes that may occur 2022 World Cup Final
- Messi wins his first World Cup
- First World Cup win for Croatia
- First World Cup win for Morocco and Africa
- France to back-to-back World Cup wins
Messi wins his first World Cup
One of the four possible outcomes that may occur in this year's World Cup Final is a possible first World Cup victory for Argentina, thanks to Lionel Messi. The word superstar has already said that the 2022 tournament in Qatar would be his last chance to compete in the World Cup. The now 35-year-old legend has won almost every major honor there is to earn at the highest level of international football, except for the ultimate prize: the FIFA World Cup.
Considering how well his side are playing right now, it's not out of the question that Messi will hoist the FIFA World Cup Trophy as a defining moment in his career. Argentina's all-time top scorer and the most-capped player is appearing in his sixth consecutive World Cup. In 2006, he made history as the country's youngest-ever player and scorer in a FIFA World Cup.
First World Cup win for Croatia
It's not only Argentina that have unfinished business in Qatar; Croatia are also seeking a maiden World Cup triumph. When the World Cup was held in Russia four years ago, the country came very close to winning it, losing in the final to France. Europe's 2018 World Cup run was a crowning achievement in the tournament's brief but impressive existence.
Only after less than a decade of independence was Croatia able to compete in a World Cup, and by the time it turned 30, the nation was on the edge of hoisting the World Cup trophy. At this point, the whole country is focused on seeing the mission through to its conclusion.
First World Cup win for Morocco and Africa
After beating Portugal 1-0 on Saturday, Morocco became the first African nation to advance to a World Cup Semi-Final. All three previous African teams (Cameroon 1990, Senegal 2002, and Ghana 2010) to go to the quarterfinals were eliminated there. 13 African countries have participated in the World Cup since Egypt in 1934. If Morocco make it to the Final and win it, they will have set a new record for their nation and the entire continent.
France to back-to-back World Cup wins
Les Bleus, who are attempting to retain their World Cup crown, will face Morocco in the Semi-Finals next week. France, despite having made significant changes to their 2018 World Cup team, hope to establish a precedent by defending their crown in the Middle East. If they are successful, they would join an exclusive group of countries; the last to do so was Brazil in 1962.
In a historically strong phase for the Samba Boys, Brazil won the first of their five World Cups in 1958 and successfully defended it in 1962. However, it is Italy that made history in 1934 and 1938 by winning back-to-back World Cups for the first time. The 1934 World Cup began with the elimination rounds.
