From the under dog stories, to the emergence of unlikely heroes, Qatar’s World Cup is shaping up to be one for the books. At the semi finals point emotions are running high, and nearly every possible out come will culminate in history being written. Argentina and France are the only remaining teams considered tournament favorites at the outset of the World Cup, while Croatia is hungry for redemption after falling short in 2018 and Morocco cant seem to be stopped. So lets break down both matches from the stages set to host them to the narratives surrounding the games.
Argentina vs. Croatia
Taking place in Lusail Stadium, the same place where Saudi Arabia beat Messi’s squad, the tournament’s largest venue will play host to this semi-finals match. The stadium is additionally set to host the World Cup Finals so history will undoubtedly be made on this ground.
On one side you have a hungry Croatian team that in 2018 made it to the Finals, ultimately falling to France. On the other you have a strong Argentinian team, led by Messi looking to cement his legacy by lifting a World Cup trophy, having captured pretty much every other decoration in the sport.
While many would be ecstatic to see one of the greatest to ever play the game win it all, Croatia have fought exceptionally hard to make it this far and have earned a shot at redemption.
Catch the match at 11 PM(GST) on December 13th
France vs. Morocco
To many watchers across the MENA region and abroad this game will likely exude an energy as powerful as a finals match. This match will take place in Al Bayt stadium, which has a capacity for 60,000 and has caught many eyes with its Arabian tent inspired exterior.
While the returning champion French team surely will feel the support emanating from the stands, you can bet the Moroccan Lions will have mountains of supporters lifting them up. As the only remaining MENA team that has been making history with its every win, being the only African or Arab team to make it this far in the tournament, Morocco has been led by Hakimi, and perhaps the goalkeeper of the Word Cup in Bounou.
France of course are a real threat, Mbappe being the tournament’s leading goal scorer and the plethora of other weapons in the French lineup. Regardless, who doesn’t love a underdog story right?
Catch the match at 11 PM(GST) on December 14th.
Want to know where to stream it? Find out how here.