It’s hard to believe, but this 64-game World Cup is nearly over. With 60 games down, just four remain before the champion is crowned. Tuesday and Wednesday will see the semifinals take place as Argentina battle Croatia, and France take on Morocco. A potential rematch of the 2018 final is still in play with France and Croatia one game away, but this tournament has taught us to expect the unpredictable. It’s anybody’s guess how this will all play out in the semifinals, but let’s try, shall we?
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How to watch Argentina vs. Croatia
- Date: Tuesday, Dec. 13 | Time: 2 p.m. ET
- Location: Lusail Ionic Stadium — Lusail, Qatar
- TV: FOX | Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
Featured Game | Argentina vs. Croatia
When the World Cup ends and Champions League action resumes, you’ll be able to catch all the action on Paramount+. Use offer code ALLYEAR now to get 50% off the annual plan.
Argentina vs. Croatia, predictions
One matchup to watch:
Featured Game | Argentina vs. Croatia
Matchup to watch: Rodrigo de Paul vs. Luka Modric — De Paul has been the pressure man in the middle for Argentina with his relentless running and tracking down helping this team defensively. While Modric isn’t overly mobile, I still would expect De Paul to be the guy to mark him in the attacking third and aiming to get the ball off of his feet.
Most likely to score a goal: Lionel Messi — He’s the penalty taker, the set piece taker, and the team’s biggest threat in attack. He’s second in the tournament in goals scored with four and has been everywhere this World Cup. He’s also scored in both knockout stage games against Australia and the Netherlands.
Man of the Match pick: Emiliano Martinez — While Messi may be Argentina’s best player, “Dibu” is the heart and soul of this team. The confident, trash-talking goalkeeper is confident any time the ball comes his way, and he’s surely livid with conceding twice against the Netherlands. If Argentina get through, he’ll be a big reason why.
Match prediction: Messi gets back to the final with an inspiring performance that’s tight in the end. Argentina 2, Croatia 1.
How to watch France vs. Morocco
- Date: Wednesday, Dec. 14 | Time: 2 p.m. ET
- Location: Al Bayt Stadium — Al Khor, Qatar
- TV: FOX | Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
Featured Game | France vs. Morocco
When the World Cup ends and Champions League action resumes, you’ll be able to catch all the action on Paramount+. Use offer code ALLYEAR now to get 50% off the annual plan.
France vs. Morocco predictions
One matchup to watch: Aurelien Tchouameni scored a stunning opening goal against the Three Lions last Saturday and the Real Madrid man will be needed if France are to win the battle the midfields in Al Khor. Aided by Adrien Rabiot, the 22-year-old has fared very well so far in Qatar and now faces arguably his toughest challenge yet with the in-form Sofyan Amrabat. Azzedine Ounahi has also been outstanding for the Moroccans, but Amrabat vs. Tchouameni is arguably the showdown encounter here.
Most likely to score a goal: After he was shackled against England, Kylian Mbappe will be keen to make up for lost time and to add to his five-goal haul in this tournament. The Paris Saint-Germain superstar will be up against club teammate Achraf Hakimi on Wednesday and may well get a few chances given how Hakimi likes to get forward which leaves space. Olivier Giroud and Youssef En Nesyri are both solid bets, but Mbappe is the favorite to score at least once.
Man of the Match pick: Considering his creativity for France of late, Antoine Griezmann is a good shout given that so much flows through him. Amrabat and Ounahi have been joined by Romain Saiss and Sofiane Boufal in performing extremely well this winter and it could be that French captain Hugo Lloris is required to put in a big performance between the sticks to keep Les Bleus’ clean sheet intact.
Match predictions: