Qatar’s two underdog stories produced all-time runs, even though they didn’t end up in the final.
The World Cup’s third-place match is often a meaningless affair between two strong, disappointed sides. Brazil was beaten on its own turf in this game in 2014 after the historic 7–1 embarrassment at the hands of Germany in the semifinal. England produced a mostly listless performance against Belgium in 2018 following an upset loss to Croatia.
Saturday’s match featured no such opponents, and it was no such match. Croatia beat surprise semifinalist Morocco 2–1 in a 90-minute battle that felt more like Sunday’s final than a futile friendly.