When Morocco faces Portugal in the quarterfinal on Saturday, they will be attempting to extend their incredible run at the FIFA World Cup.
In the Round of 16, Walid Regragui’s team shocked everyone by defeating Spain on penalties, and they’ll be hoping to do the same when they play the Cristiano Ronaldo-led team.
Another exciting game is scheduled for later that evening as England and France prepare for their historic showdown in Qatar. It will be the first time since 1982 that the teams have faced off in a World Cup knockout game.
Morocco has emerged as the favourite at the World Cup after being the first African team to advance past the round of 16 in over a decade and the first Arab team to reach the quarterfinals. Spain, the 2010 World Cup champions, were shocked 3-0 on penalties by Regragui’s squad. Portugal recently defeated Switzerland with a resounding 6-1 victory.
Goncalo Ramos was chosen by Fernando Santos to direct the team’s offence rather than Cristiano Ronaldo, and the strategy worked brilliantly for both Ramos and Portugal. Ramos, a 21-year-old, gave his team an early lead before completing a hat trick.
At 8:30 PM IST, Morocco and Portugal’s match will kick off.
After the quarterfinal between Portugal and Morocco, the fourth semifinalist will be chosen. England will compete against the reigning winners France, who has Kylian Mbappe, a Golden Boot candidate.
Recently, England gained a 3-0 victory against Senegal in the Round of 16, and France defeated Poland 3-1 in the match for the last-16. It’s likely that Didier Deschamps will use the same lineup as in their most recent game, but it remains to be seen how Gareth Southgate will approach the French challenge.
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