Croatia takes 3rd place in FIFA World Cup

The Croatian national soccer team was able to narrowly hold off Morocco on Saturday to claim third place at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. 

The game began with a raucous back-and-forth. Croatia would get on the board early, with Joško Gvardiol bouncing a header into the net just seven minutes into the game to give the Croatians a 1-0 lead. However, feisty Morocco would not be held off the board for long, as Achraf Dari would tie the game just two minutes later with a header of his own. 

Croatia would not be denied, though, as Mislav Oršić would help them regain the lead just prior to halftime. Despite a flurry of chances from Morocco in the second half, the Croatians were able to keep the ball out of their net, holding on for the 2-1 victory. 

This marks the second straight FIFA World Cup that Croatia has finished in the top three of the tournament. In 2018, they were the runners-up in the championship game, losing to France — who will look to repeat as world champions on Sunday when they face Argentina in the final. 

Despite their loss, the game capped off a historic run for Morocco, unlikely underdogs who became the story of the World Cup this year. They became the first African team to make it to the semifinal of a World Cup, narrowly losing to France for a bid to play for the championship.