Eight teams remain in the FIFA World Cup as we review the first knockout round at Qatar 2022.
With the Round of 16 done and dusted, the quarter-finalists consist of five European nations, two South American, and one from Africa.
One of Argentina, Brazil, Croatia, England, France, Morocco, Netherlands, or Portugal will be crowned the champions of the world on December 18.
There were 28 goals scored in these last eight matches, adding to the 120 goals scored in the 48-game group stage. Two last-16 ties were decided on penalties, as Croatia and Morocco both prevailed from the spot.
Delving into the eight last-16 ties:
– Netherlands 3-1 USA
Denzel Dumfries scored one goal and created two more as Die Oranje stormed to victory over the Stars and Stripes.
Memphis Depay opened the scoring after just 10 minutes and Daley Blind doubled the Netherlands’ lead with the final kick of the first-half. Both goals came about from a couple of cutback passes by Dumfries on the right flank.
Team USA halved the deficit through second-half substitute Haji Wright, but five minutes later Dumfries regained his side’s two-goal advantage after he was left unmarked at the far post.
The Dutch scored a convincing win over a youthful USMNT, and they move onto the quarter-finals for a fifth time in their last six World Cup tournaments.
– Argentina 2-1 Australia
For Australia, it was a joyous occasion as the Socceroos made their first appearance at the World Cup knockouts since 2006. However, almost inevitably, their joy was to be short-lived as they came up against the champions of South America.
Australia just about managed to fend off a superior opponent for the opening half hour but Argentina’s main man broke the deadlock 10 minutes before half-time.
In what was the 1,000th match of his senior career, Lionel Messi displayed his trademark quality to put his country ahead of the Aussies and ease the pressure on his beloved Albiceleste.
Julian Alvarez extended the lead shortly before the hour mark and this ultimately proved the decisive goal to send the two-time World Cup winners through to the last-eight.
Australia pulled one back via a deflection off Enzo Fernández but the Argentinians saw out the contest to advance to the quarters for a fifth time in the last seven tournaments.
Inevitable. #ARG | #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/RblCKcxVWM
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 3, 2022
– France 3-1 Poland
The World Cup holders were pitted against Poland, who had scraped through Group C by the finest of margins.
Kylian Mbappé stole the show, scoring twice after he had set up Olivier Giroud to open the scoring shortly before half-time. This was a 52nd goal in France colours for Giroud, 36, who is now the highest-scorer of all-time for Les Bleus.
In the second period, Mbappé fired two venomous strikes past Wojciech Szczesny to confirm a place in the next round for the reigning world champions.
This also gave the French forward an outright lead in the race for the Golden Boot; the 23-year-old has scored five goals at Qatar 2022, two goals more than any other player at the showpiece event.
Poland were awarded a penalty deep into stoppage time, as talisman Robert Lewandowski stepped up. After having to re-take his penalty following encroachment by goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, the Polish striker buried his spot-kick – a mere consolation for the Polish.
France men’s all-time leading goalscorer and his inevitable heir…#FRA | #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/UFpongWAHJ
— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) December 4, 2022
– England 3-0 Senegal
The European runners-up and the champions of Africa went to battle in what was a first on-field meeting between the Three Lions and the Lions of Teranga.
England went ahead five minutes before half-time as Jude Bellingham displayed shrewd footwork to tee up Jordan Henderson for the first goal.
Bellingham was heavily involved again as Harry Kane opened his account at Qatar 2022 with the final kick of the first period. The Three Lions captain also become his country’s eighth different scorer at the tournament in the Middle East.
Senegal had it all to do in the second-half but it only got worse for them. Bukayo Saka found the net, approaching the hour, for his third goal of the tournament. The Senegalese could not conjure any type of response as England did more than enough to seal a spot in the last-eight.
(Photo: AFP via Getty Images)
– Japan 1-1 Croatia [1-3 pen]
In what was their third meeting at the World Cup, the sides battled it out and it went right down to the wire.
Japan had taken the lead just minutes before the break, as Daizen Maeda was the quickest to react to the second ball following a set-piece routine into the penalty area.
The 2018 finalists struck back through Ivan Perišić before the hour. Beyond that, there weren’t a flurry of big chances, and the contest resumed into an extra 30 minutes of play. Croatia had their opponents pinned back for much of extra-time, though the Blue Samurai held on to take it to penalties.
Japan’s spot-kicks were of poor quality and they failed to convert either of their opening two, as Takumi Minamino and Kaoru Mitoma both had their efforts kept out by Dominik Livaković.
Those misses meant Nikola Vlašić and Marcelo Brozović gave their team a 2-goal cushion in the shootout. Takuma Asano got Japan on the board and they were given a boost as Marko Livaja then struck the post, but for captain Maya Yoshida having his penalty saved meant the Japanese were knocked out.
(Photo: Getty Images)
– Brazil 4-1 South Korea
The Samba Kings came into this tie as the overwhelming favourites and it did not take long for them to get up and running. Flair and creativity were on display from the get-go and Vinícius put Brazil in front just seven minutes after kick-off.
Soon after, Neymar dispatched from the penalty spot to double the lead and it became three before the clock had passed 30 minutes. Richarlison started and finished off the move, featuring a glimpse of individual brilliance from the Tottenham forward.
Lucas Paquetá rubbed salt into the wounds of South Korea, adding a fourth goal before half-time.
Although they were quite clearly beaten, the Tigers of Asia refused to back down and they at least continued trying in the second 45′. Their efforts paid dividends with a quarter of an hour remaining, as substitute Paik Seung-ho unleashed a 20-yard strike which took a slight deflection and made its way past Alisson and into the Brazil net.
The South Americans did not add to their four-goal first-half, though they did breeze through to the quarter-finals at an eighth successive World Cup tournament.
– Morocco 0-0 Spain [3-0 pen]
In what was a duel between neighbouring countries, the Spanish supporters were vastly outnumbered by their Moroccan counterparts at the Lusail Stadium. La Roja were whistled and jeered almost every time they touched the ball in the first-half and again in the closing stages of the second period.
Despite Spain’s persistent knocking at the door, Morocco simply wouldn’t let them in. In his short tenure in charge of the Atlas Lions, Walid Regragui has developed a well-drilled and resilient team highlighted by a watertight defence and glimpses of flair in attack.
Being the last remaining team from Africa at the event, Morocco had a point to prove. Even into the dying embers of the game, Luis Enrique’s men couldn’t conjure anything of significance and the tie was decided on penalties.
Spain substitutes Pablo Sarabia and Carlos Soler both disappointed from 12 yards while skipper Sergio Busquets had his effort saved by Yassine Bounou.
Achraf Hakimi, born and raised in Madrid, kept a cool head and successfully executed an audacious ‘panenka’ to send Spain home.
Full credit due to this group of gutsy Atlas Lions for reaching the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time in history. Morocco become the fourth African nation to reach this stage of the finals, and the first since Ghana 12 years ago.
The Spanish have exited on penalties in the Round of 16 at back-to-back World Cup tournaments, after they went out to hosts Russia four years ago. Enrique has officially stepped down as head coach of the Spain national team.
– Portugal 6-1 Switzerland
The big news ahead of the final Round of 16 tie was that Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo had been benched in favour of junior striker Gonçalo Ramos.
The 21-year-old justified his selection as he struck with a delightful effort from the tightest of angles, squeezing in under the crossbar, not to mention on his weaker left foot.
With the captain’s armband strapped around his arm in Ronaldo’s absence, Pepe scored with a thumping header shortly past the half-hour mark. The 39-year old is the second-oldest scorer at the World Cup, behind Cameroon’s Roger Milla, and the oldest player to score in the knockouts.
Ramos bagged his second of the night and minutes later Raphael Guerreiro notched Portugal’s fourth. Switzerland responded with a goal of their own however the Benfica attacker completed his hat-trick midway into the second stanza, for what was the first three-goal haul at Qatar 2022.
Ronaldo entered the fray with 18 minutes of the 90′ to play though the national team skipper could not add to an already-excessive scoreline. Rafael Leão was also introduced in the closing stages and the left-winger put the icing on the cake for Portugal, leaving goalkeeper Yann Sommer stranded with a curling effort into the far corner.
In the quarter-finals, Brazil take on Croatia, while Portugal meet Morocco. England and France go to battle, and Argentina go head-to-head with the Netherlands.
Initial odds – Bet365:
Croatia 9.00
Brazil 1.36
Draw 5.00
Netherlands 3.60
Argentina 2.20
Draw 3.10
Morocco 5.50
Portugal 1.70
Draw 3.50
England 3.00
France 2.40
Draw 3.25
