Will it be Croatian redemption, a picture-perfect end for Lionel Messi and Argentina, a Moroccan miracle or back-to-back for Les Bleus?
We’re down to the final four at the Qatar World Cup and Sunday’s final is already looming large.
Here, Sportsmail’s DAVID COVERDALE casts his eye over the semi-finalists to see how they all compare.
The World Cup final is less than a week away and the final four take centre stage next
FORM AND MOMENTUM
ARGENTINA – 7/10
Never mind reaching the last four, Argentina looked in danger of going out in the group stage when they suffered a shock 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia in their opening match.
But Lionel Messi’s second-half strike against Mexico turned the tide of their tournament, as they went on to win that game 2-0 and enjoyed victory by the same scoreline against Poland to top Group C.
In the knockouts, Argentina edged Australia 2-1 and needed penalties to knock out Holland after conceding twice late on. So, while they have still not yet hit top form, they have done what the best teams do – found a way to get over the line.
Argentina, fresh of their penalties win over Holland, have been a mixed bag this tournament
CROATIA – 7/10
Croatia looked a shadow of the side that made the 2018 final when they started their campaign with a goalless draw with Morocco and then conceded early on against Canada. They hit back to win that one 4-1, but were fortunate to escape with a stalemate against Belgium and go through as runners-up of Group F.
Draws have been the order of the day again in the knockouts, with Zlatko Dalic’s stubborn side going through against both Japan and Brazil on penalties. No one would call them the team of the tournament, but they are the masters of punching above their weight and can never be written off.
FRANCE – 8/10
Unlike the other semi-finalists, France’s World Cup campaign got off to a flyer with a 4-1 win over Australia. They followed that up with a Kylian Mbappe-inspired 2-1 victory over Denmark, which secured their place in the next round and allowed them to rest players against Tunisia, which they went on to lose 1-0.
That shock loss did little to halt their momentum, though, and they turned on the style in a 3-1 win over a poor Poland in the last 16, before edging past England 2-1 with another impressive performance. In terms of form, they are undoubtedly the team to beat.
MOROCCO – 9/10
The North African nation are the surprise package in Qatar but few were talking about them after their forgettable opening draw with Croatia. That all changed, though, when they shocked Belgium 2-0 in their second group game and they then sealed qualification for the last 16 with a 2-1 victory over Canada.
Morocco’s momentum has since carried through to the knockouts, when they stunned much-fancied Spain on penalties and then beat Portugal thanks to Youssef En-Nesyri’s first-half header. The way things are falling for them, you would no longer be surprised if the giantkillers made it to the final.
Moroccan fans have turned out in force to support their side on the big stage
INJURIES AND SUSPENSIONS
ARGENTINA – 8/10
Lionel Scaloni will be without right back Gonzalo Montiel and left back Marcos Acuna after they both picked up their respective second bookings of the tournament in the heated battle with Holland.
Acuna has started every Argentina game since missing out against Saudi Arabia but will now likely be replaced by Nicolas Tagliafico. Montiel’s absence is less of an issue given Nahuel Molina is the first choice in his position.
Argentina have no new injury concerns, but striker Papu Gomez remains a doubt with the ankle problem which kept him out of the quarter-finals.
CROATIA – 10/10
Zlatko Dalic has a full squad to choose from after Croatia managed to avoid picking up any injuries or suspensions in their quarter-final win over Brazil.
Zlatko Dalic has a fully fit squad to choose from with no suspensions hampering them
FRANCE – 9/10
Didier Deschamps has no fresh worries ahead of France’s clash with Morocco after his players came through against England unscathed.
That will be a huge relief to the Les Bleus boss, who lost left-back Lucas Hernandez to an ACL injury in the first match in Qatar, having seen Presnel Kimpembe, Christopher Nkunku and Karim Benzema all withdraw from his original World Cup squad. Deschamps was also unable to call upon the injured Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante heading into the tournament.
MOROCCO – 5/10
Morocco striker Walid Cheddira is out of the semi-final after being sent off for a second yellow card in injury time against Portugal.
Their captain Romain Saiss is also in a race to be fit having been carried off on a stretcher in tears in the second half of Saturday’s quarter-final with a hamstring problem.
Defenders Nayef Aguerd (hip) and Noussair Mazraoui (groin) both missed the Portugal clash and are major doubts to face France. Morocco will at least hope Chelsea playmaker Hakim Ziyech is fit after receiving a couple of kicks in the last round.
Roman Saiss is unlikely to be fit having come off injured against Portugal
EXPERIENCE
ARGENTINA – 9/10
History is certainly on Argentina’s side. They have won all five of their previous World Cup semi-finals and gone on to lift the trophy twice – in 1978 and 1986. Argentina have also enjoyed recent success in major tournaments after winning last year’s Copa America.
Their captain Messi is featuring in his fifth World Cup and this semi-final will be his 25th game. That will put him equal with German Lothar Matthaus for the player with the most World Cup appearances.
Lionel Messi is vastly experienced and Argentina have been at this stage before
CROATIA – 7/10
Croatia’s run in Russia four years ago was the first time they had reached the final. The only other time they made the last four was in 1998, when they lost to eventual winners France.
There are few players as experienced at this level as their skipper Luka Modric. He is set to become only the fourth player to start six matches at a World Cup aged 37 or over. This will also be the midfielder’s 31st match at a major tournament and 18th at a World Cup – the most by any Croatian.
FRANCE – 9/10
The French will be able to draw on their experience of 2018 when they won their second World Cup. They have won all of their last three semi-finals, having lost each of their first three, and could become the first defending champions to reach the final since Brazil in 1998.
In Deschamps, they have a boss who has won 13 of his 17 World Cup games in charge. Victory over Morocco would see him draw level with Luize Felipe Scolari and behind only Helmut Schon as the manager with the most wins in the tournament’s history.
Didier Deschamps and the French are aiming to become back-to-back champions
MOROCCO – 3/10
The Atlas Lions are the first African team to ever reach the semi-final. It is only the second time Morocco have got out of the group stage after 1986, when they lost to West Germany in the last 16.
This is only their fifth World Cup and before Qatar, they had won just two of 16 games in the tournament.
STAR QUALITY
ARGENTINA – 8/10
Argentina have the biggest star of them all in Messi, who many fans around the world are desperate to see claim the one trophy missing from his cabinet. Angel di Maria, once of Manchester United and now with Juventus, is another all-time great of his country.
Of the younger generation, Julian Alvarez of Manchester City and Benfica’s Enzo Fernandez look like they could become real stars of the future.
Plenty of neutrals will be willing Messi to win the trophy in his last World Cup
CROATIA – 7/10
Even at the age of 37, you cannot look past Modric when discussing Croatia’s top talent. A mainstay with Real Madrid since 2012, he has lifted the Champions League five times and scooped the Ballon d’Or in 2018 – the first time in 11 years that it was not won by Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.
Alongside Modric in a formidable midfield are Marcelo Brozovic of Inter Milan and Chelsea’s Mateo Kovacic, while Tottenham’s Ivan Perisic is another of Croatia’s big names.
FRANCE – 9/10
Even with some of their biggest names missing from Qatar, this France squad is still brimming with star quality, none more so than Kylian Mbappe. The Paris Saint-Germain icon is the tournament’s top scorer with five goals – one more than his French team-mate Olivier Giroud, now with AC Milan.
Barcelona’s Ousmane Dembele and Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann complete a stellar forward line, while behind them is Real Madrid youngster Aurelien Tchouameni, who scored the stunning opener against England.
Mbappe has lit up the tournament and without him, France would be completely different
MOROCCO – 5/10
PSG right-back Achraf Hakimi is the new star of Moroccan football, while winger Ziyech has put his struggles at Chelsea to one side to star in Qatar.
Striker En-Nesyri, who scored the winner against Portugal, plays for Sevilla in La Liga, while Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat’s impressive performances have seen him linked with Liverpool.
MANAGER
ARGENTINA – 8/10
Scaloni’s reputation was already high having won the Copa America, but he has enhanced it even further in Qatar. The former West Ham defender played with Messi at the 2006 World Cup and has managed to get the best out of his talisman.
Scaloni, who was on Jorge Sampaoli’s backroom team at the 2018 tournament, deserves credit for how he has picked Argentina up after their shock defeat to the Saudis.
Lionel Scaloni has been key in Argentina’s revival and gets the best out of Lionel Messi
CROATIA – 8/10
Dalic had not managed a club of any real repute before taking charge of Croatia in 2017, but he has now incredibly led them to back-to-back World Cup semi-finals.
His pragmatic playing style is not the most entertaining to watch, but he has got the most out of Modric and he has made Croatia hard to beat. Who needs goals when you can just win on penalties?
FRANCE – 9/10
The longest-serving coach in Qatar, Deschamps has enjoyed unprecedented success with a team that had a habit of self-destructing before he took charge 10 years ago. After becoming just the third man to win the World Cup as a player and manager in 2018, he is now on the brink of emulating Italy’s Vittorio Pozzo as the only other manager to successfully defend the trophy.
The Little General’s experience on the big stage will be vital in the pressure moments this week.
France were fragile before Deschamps took over and transformed Les Bleus
MOROCCO – 8/10
Walid Regragui only took charge of Morocco in August after the sacking of Vahid Halilhodzic, much to the dismay of supporters who mocked him as ‘avocado head’. It is fair to say those fans will be happy with his appointment now.
For all England boss Gareth Southgate’s struggles against the big teams at major tournaments, Regragui has already masterminded wins over Belgium, Spain and Portgual to become the first African and first Arab boss to reach the World Cup semi-finals.
His squad includes 14 players who were born overseas but he has moulded them together to make a formidable force, conceding just once at this World Cup – and even that was an own goal.
FAN SUPPORT IN QATAR
ARGENTINA – 10/10
Doha has been turned into a mini Buenos Aires, with Argentina supporters travelling in their thousands despite a 20-hour flight.
La Albiceleste must feel like they are playing at home given the atmosphere inside the stadiums, with the roar when they score unlike anything else.
On top of that, many Qatari neutrals have also adopted Argentina because of their love for Messi.
Argentina fans are among the most passionate in the world have have travelled in force
CROATIA – 6/10
In Instagram model Ivana Knoll and her eye-catching outfits, Croatia certainly have one of the fans who has attracted the most attention.
Their supporters also sparked a FIFA investigation by abusing Canada keeper Milan Borjan, whose family have Serbian ties, during their group game.
Model and Croatia fan Ivana Knoll and her eye-catching outfits have been waves in Qatar
FRANCE – 5/10
England supporters outnumbered their French counterparts in Saturday’s quarter-final, although one fan went viral when he celebrated the win by eating a whole baguette.
France can expect their match with Morocco to feel like an away fixture, and it will be the same in the final should they get through and face Argentina.
MOROCCO – 10/10
As an Arab team playing in the first Arab World Cup, Morocco have enjoyed strong support from the start. But since they reached the knockouts, there has been a huge rush of Moroccans flying into Qatar from all over the world.
Those numbers are being swelled by fans from other African or Arab countries and their underdog status is also making them a favourite of the neutral in Doha.
Fans of Morocco have made incredible noise at the World Cup and made them feel at home
OVERALL
-ARGENTINA – 50
-CROATIA – 45
-FRANCE – 49
-MOROCCO – 40