We will be down to our final eight teams of this FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 by Wednesday. The four Quarterfinals games on Friday, December 9 and Saturday, December 10 could be 48 hours of the greatest Soccer we’ll witness this decade.
The first of the four matches (Match 58) will see Croatia facing Brazil at Education City Stadium (Grass) in Al Rayyan on Friday (FOX, 10 ET/9 CT/7 PT) to see who will be the first to punch its ticket to the World Cup Semifinals on December 13 and December 14.
The second Quarterfinals match on Friday (Match 57) has the Netherlands playing Lionel Messi and Argentina at Lusail Iconic Stadium (Grass) in Lusail (FOX, 2 pm ET/1 pm CT/11 am PT) in a showdown where the World Cup Quarterfinals odds have Argentina favored.
The World Cup Quarterfinals Betting Odds see Kylian Mbappé, Olivier Giroud and defending champions France as +140 favorites on the Moneyline in the 3-way marketplace with underdogs England priced at +215 and a Draw at +225.
France defeated Croatia in the Final of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia and Mbappé, Giroud and Les Bleus are now looking to become the first team to capture back-to-back World Cups since Brazil accomplished the feat back in 1958 and 1962.
Italy, who didn’t qualify for this was the 2022 World Cup, is the only other team besides Brazil to ever win back-to-back World Cups, doing so in 1935 and 1938. Tournament favorites Brazil have won the most World Cups, taking home the trophy five times.
Let’s bicycle kick these World Cup Quarterfinal Predictions with odds courtesy of BetOnline.
CROATIA VS. BRAZIL IN THE QUARTERFINALS 👀🍿 pic.twitter.com/iZdik751DK
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) December 5, 2022
2022 World Cup Quarterfinals Previews
Croatia vs. Brazil
- Date: Friday, December 9
- Time: (18:00) 10 ET/9 CT/8 MT/7 PT
- Stadium: Education City Stadium (Grass), Doha, Ad Dawhah
- TV: FOX
- 3-Way Odds: Brazil -260, Croatia +810, Draw +400
- Total: 2½, 3o +104, 2½, 3u -120
- Brazil Team Total: 1½o -180, 1½u +160
- Croatia Team Total: ½o -108, ½u -112
Croatia needed a Penalty Kick Shootout to survive Monday’s Round of 16 match against Japan, but the UEFA side advanced on and looks to get all the way back to the Final as it did four years ago in Russia, where France defeated Luka Modrić and the Vatren, 4-2.
Lifetime, Croatia has never beaten Brazil, and it will head in with a 0-1-3 record vs them in international play having been outscored 7-2. The two teams have met twice in the World Cup, both in Group Stage play, with Brazil winning both meetings (3-1, 1-0).
That means this is the most important meeting ever between the two countries, and with so much at stake, expect the pace to be blistering. And we will ride the current trend of goals being scored and back the Over in this Quarterfinals match.
The first four Round of 16 games saw at least three goals scored, then after a 1-1 game between Croatia and Japan, ultimately won by the Croats on PKs, we saw yet another high-scoring affair in Brazil-South Korea.
Modrić (159 caps) and Croatia have been a great longshot story here over the past two World Cups, but the European side simply doesn’t have the firepower on that attack like the Brazilians who are healthier now and can get goals from so many places.
Besides living lightning bolt Neymar, Casemiro, and Vinícius Júnior, O Canarinho (the Little Canary) also feature Richarlison (Tottenham Hotspur), Thiago Silva (Chelsea), Raphinha (Barcelona), and Dani Alves (UNAM) and this team is very confident now.
This team is also rested physically and psychologically and will be happy Neymar is back in the fold after doubts of his participation in this Knockout Stage. Having your best player on the pitch always matters, be it in international fútbol or American football.
Expect Neymar to score here at least once and lead his team on to the Semifinals.
NETHERLANDS VS. ARGENTINA IN THE QUARTERFINALS 🚨🍿 pic.twitter.com/5NqmWB4p2F
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) December 3, 2022
Netherlands vs. Argentina
- Date: Friday, December 9
- Time: (22:00) 2 pm ET/1 pm CT/12 pm MT/11 am PT
- Stadium: Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail (Grass)
- TV: FOX
- 3-Way Odds: Argentina +120, Netherlands +265, Draw +215
- To Advance Odds: Argentina -170, Netherlands +140
- Total: 2o -135
- Argentina Team Total: 1½o +155, 1½u -175
- Netherlands Team Total: ½o -170, ½u +150
The Netherlands always makes it out of the Group Stage in the FIFA World, but the Dutch are the best team to have never won the World Cup.
So, will this finally be the year that Le Oranje brings the world’s most famous trophy home to Holland?
Clockwork Orange head into this match on a 19-game unbeaten streak and will expect to find a way to win, but when you line up across from Lionel Messi in club or international play, it is never an easy thing, no matter who you are or your reputation.
Lifetime, the Netherlands is an impressive 4-5-1 (W-D-L) against Argentina, with the Dutch outscoring them 13-6 in the 10 meetings leading up to this biggest of all collisions between the two soccer-loving nations.
The only time that Netherlands and Argentina met in the World Cup Quarterfinals was back in the 1998 World Cup where the Oranje won, 2-1 in France. The two teams also met in the 1978 FIFA World Cup Final in Argentina, 3-1, the only 90-minute win for Argentina.
You can expect a heated battle that may need more than 90 minutes to decide with the first score of the game being the most important as it will dictate how both coaches and teams react. With Messi, a team chasing a goal will always have hope and a way to equalize.
As good as Argentina has been and as great as Messi is, remember this: Netherlands has only lost once ever to Argentina in 90 minutes; Le Oranje are unbeaten in their last 19; LVG is one of the best managers around and the Dutch GK is 6-foot-8-inches tall.
Also, Denzel Dumfries assisted on two of the Netherlands goals in its win against the USA, he scored another and has looked like the heart of an Orange Crush team which already has great natural leaders in van Dijk, Depay, and now Gapko.
ENGLAND VS. FRANCE IN THE QUARTERFINALS 👀🍿 pic.twitter.com/0K2Frk3KAU
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) December 4, 2022
France vs. England
- Date: Saturday, December 10
- Time: (22:00) 2 pm ET/1 pm CT/12 pm MT/11 am PT
- Stadium: Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor (Grass)
- TV: FOX
- 3-Way Odds: France +140, England +215, Draw +225
- To Advance Odds: France -140, England +110
- Total: 2o -145, 2u +125
- France Team Total: 1½o +165, 1½u -185
- England Team Total: ½o -215, ½u +180
Match 59 will see 2022 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot Kylian Mbappé (5 goals), Olivier Giroud (3 goals), and France (+450 to win 2022 FIFA World Cup) looking to get back to the Semifinals once again after Les Bleus won it all last time four years ago in Russia.
France rolled through its group and then eliminated Poland, 3-1 in its Round of 16 match on Sunday and even without star Karim Benzema (injured), this team looks as confident as anyone with Antonie Griezmann calmly feeding the Forwards.
The Three Lions (+650 to win the World Cup) are nothing to sneeze at, and this is as good of a roster that England has maybe ever had in the World Cup. Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur) is the name everyone knows but Coach Gavin Southgate has many studs.
Wayne Pickford (Everton) will likely start in goal for the Three Lions with France going with GK Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur). But as good as they have been, they will really be up against it here in this spot and the game total also looks low at 2. Shop around.
With all of these elite skills guys and scores meeting in a game that could be a Final, we will likely see both teams scoring in the First Half and remember how many minutes have been regularly added on after the first 45 minutes of play in both halves in this tournament.
France seems to be leading the charmed life and will have the best player on the field in this one in Mbappé and Giroud is more of a scoring threat now than Kane is for slight underdogs England. This one will be fun and it’s a shame one of these will be eliminated.
Portugal meets Morocco 🍿
The Quarter-Finals are set 🤝 #FIFAWorldCup #Qatar2022
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 6, 2022
Morocco vs. Portugal
- Date: Saturday, December 10
- Time: (18:00) 10 ET/9 CT/8 MT/7 PT
- Stadium: Al Thumama Stadium, (Grass), Doha
- TV: FOX
- 3-Way Odds: Portugal -150, Morocco +460, Draw +270
- To Advance Odds: Portugal -325, Morocco +235
- Total: 2½o +115, 2½u -135
- Portugal Team Total: 1½o -110, 1½u -110
- Morocco Team Total: ½o -135, ½u +115
Match 60 will see the tournament’s lone longshots, Morocco (opened 300/1 to win 2022 FIFA World Cup) continue their dream run in this quadrennial tournament. The Atlas Lions have scored only four goals in four games, but their defense has been brilliant.
Morocco is one of four teams which hasn’t lost at this 2022 World Cup, and they have still allowed just one goal (Canada) in three Group Stage games and that 0-0 90-minute plus AET result vs. Spain which saw the CAF members magically make these Quarterfinals.
It took Penalty Kicks, but Morocco won 3-0 on Penalties as Abdelhamid Sabiri (Sampdoria), Hakim Ziyech (Chelsea), and Achraf Hakami (PSG) all converted on their PKs and Atlas Lions’ GK Yassine Bounou stopped all four of Spain’s PK attempts in the win.
Morocco also held elite Midfielders Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City), Eden Hazard (Real Madrid) and Belgium scoreless in a 2-0 win in Group F play and then stifled the 20-year-old Pedri (Barcelona) and held La Roja to no goals as well. Numbers don’t lie.
The Atlas Lions allowed zero goals to elite UEFA teams with Modrić, Hazard, De Bruyne and Pedri. In the World Cup. Nothing big.
Portugal decided to leave Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench to start its Round of 16 match against Switzerland on Tuesday, the first time A Seleção and GK Diogo Costa (Porto) have started a Knockout Stage game without the services of the prolific goalscorer CR7.
Along with Ramos, João Félix (Atlético Madrid), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Vice Captain and D Pepe (Porto), and Bernardo Silva (Manchester City) also were in the Portugal starting XI, so Santos knew having the older CR7 on the bench was a wise thing.
Portugal ended up dusting Switzerland up, 5-1, as Ramos ended up scoring a hat-trick and a star was suddenly born with Old Man Pepe also adding a marvelous header for the winners who always seem to find a way to make the final eight in big tournaments.
Against the tight defense and 4-3-3 tactical formation of Morocco, it will likely be hard for Portugal, as it was for fellow Iberian Peninsula side Spain, to create quality Shots on Target as the four teams Portugal played who mustered just one goal can attest to.
Can Morocco carry the torch for Africa and the CAF confederation and all of the underdog lovers worldwide even further and win here and somehow make the World Cup Semifinals?
Lions are born to roar and this Morocco team has shown they are fearless.
