Morocco made history when they became the first African Nation to reach the World Cup semi-finals, while England’s defeat had an all too familiar ring to it.
Meanwhile, Brazil were rocked by Croatia as rivals Argentina and Lionel Messi triumphed in their penalty shoot-out with the Dutch.
Brazil 1 Croatia 1 (Croatia win on pens)
For long periods, this game was a stultifying affair. Croatia, admittedly, produced by far their best performance of the competition, but had clearly concluded that their best hope of progress was most likely via penalties. The best way to get there was to keep possession of the ball. This they did extremely well, as you would expect from such a technically capable outfit. Especially with such a gifted orchestrator as Luka Modric. They did it with no real ambition, but it got them to extra time with barely an alarm.
Finally, though, Brazil had their moment at the end of the first period of extra-time. Neymar received the ball 35 yards out, played a pass, and drove forward. Fatally, Modric stood and watched him go as the Brazilian played a one-two, rather than tracking his run. That enabled Neymar to play a second one. He muscled his way through onto the return pass. He circumvented the goalkeeper and drove the ball into the roof of the net. A terrific goal.
And that’s when the brain fog descended. A second goal ends the game at that point, but they seemingly didn’t want it. In that second period, Brazil chose not to put the ball into the area, but instead to try to run down the clock. Such muddle-headedness brings with it similar confusion of the feet. They clumsily gave away possession. Modric set Croatia on their way, and suddenly it was 1-1 and penalties after all.
Neymar Penalty Error
To compound the error, when it came to the spot kicks, incomprehensibly Brazil chose Neymar to take the fifth penalty. That never came thanks to the spectacular failings of his colleagues. Rule 1 of penalty shootouts is that the first penalty is always the most important. You get your best taker on that job to set a positive tone in the shootout.
You do not let him feed his ego by taking what he fondly expects to be the winning one, ten kicks down the line. Because there’s every chance you won’t get there. Brazil didn’t.
They are now on their joint-longest period without winning the trophy since they first lifted the World Cup, some 24 years ago. That first long, dry period came to an end when they won in 1994 in the USA. Can they repeat in 2026?
Netherlands 2 Argentina 2 (Argentina win on pens)
In this game, both sides had their moments of potentially fatal stupidity. Going 2-0 up after 73 minutes, Argentina fell into the trap that so many sides find themselves in. They simply stopped playing. They looked to see out time – an especially bizarre tactic in a World Cup where eight, nine, ten minutes are routinely being added on, only extending the agony.
Invited to attack and with nothing to lose, the Dutch threw on taller and taller players. They shoved the centre-backs up front and launched the kind of route one barrage we haven’t seen since Bobby Gould masterminded Wimbledon’s reenactments of the Dambusters’ raids. Argentina retreated further and further. They played less and less, and eventually paid the price.
Weghorst gave the Dutch hope with a guided header as time gradually ticked away. Then in the final seconds, the Netherlands produced one of the sublime moments of the competition. A fabulously worked free-kick full of guile and deceit dummied the Argentine defence and most of the crowd before Wieghorst swept the ball in.
Messi Steps Up
Having got back in the game via that blitzkrieg approach, you’d expect the Dutch to carry it into extra-time. A shell-shocked Argentina were there for the taking. One more shove and they were gone. But no, the Netherlands returned to their ponderous build-up from the back. They passed largely aimlessly among themselves. With that, their advantage was gone.
Argentina regrouped in the first period of extra-time. In the second, they swarmed around the Dutch goal, now fully in command of the game again. They couldn’t quite find the winner, but the momentum had completely swung their way again. They took that momentum into the spot kicks.
Smarter than Brazil, Messi took their first – and scored. Coming after van Dijk had missed, that put Argentina in control and they never lost it. As seems to happen at every World Cup, the Dutch were out and left to lick yet another self-inflicted wound.
Morocco 1 Portugal 0
Dreams go on, dreams fall apart. It’s the nature of the World Cup, and the reason why knockout football is the best and purest form of the game – Champions League and Europa League, please take note.
For Morocco, the impossible dream remained alive. They became the first African nation to ever reach the last four of the World Cup. Their victory over Portugal came, once again, by doing exactly what they do best. They were not swayed from it for a moment, and were the best defensive side in Qatar. They were once again brilliantly organised and wholly committed. But added to that was a growing confidence and stature.
En-Nesyri gave them a first-half lead with a strong header. From there, Portugal, however many attackers they threw on, including Ronaldo, didn’t really look as though they were going to claw the game back. You can have 73% of the ball, but if you can’t produce anything with it, it is of no value to you. If this World Cup that has been overflowing with on-screen stats at the drop of a hat has shown us anything, it’s that none of them matter. It’s goals that count.
Can Morocco go all the way?
Morocco looked comfortable throughout until that inevitably nervy last few minutes. Portugal only looked increasingly desperate. As noted after Morocco came through the last round, the World Cup has never produced a real outlier as a winner. That might no longer be true in a week or so. Who would want to face Morocco and the footballing equivalent of 90 minutes of banging your head against a wall?
England 1 France 2
This game could have gone either way, but whenever you use that phrase, it’s a given that in the end, England will lose.
When it really matters, when it comes down to the knockout games against the big nations, England always lose. They always have since 1966. They have not had a single win against a serious nation at the top of its game in a knockout fixture since Geoff Hurst’s hat-trick. Germany in the Euros in 2021 doesn’t count, as their performance in Qatar underlined.
Having been lauded for their attacking talent, they couldn’t score from open play. Defensively, while they dealt well with Mbappe, they allowed Giroud a free header. You can’t do those things at the elite level and hope to get away with it.
As manager, Southgate will inevitably take some criticism for the exit. In truth, the blame does not rest with him. Indeed, he has done more to mask England’s deficiencies than any manager since Sir Alf himself. The problems are more deeply seated, and they lie largely within the Premier League.
Are England players too soft?
It pays young English players far too much, far too soon. It ensures that none of them need ever leave their comfort zone, much less the country. Wouldn’t footballers like Foden, Rashford, and Grealish all be better for three years trying to make their way in Spain, Italy, or Germany? Is it any coincidence that Bellingham has been their best player in Qatar? He’s a youngster who has had the guts to go and test himself in another country.
England’s elite players are, by and large, too soft. They have it too easy. At the highest level, that is the difference between winners and losers. That may be a harsh lesson, but it’s one that has been avoided for too long. Better that than to wallow in the self-pity of ‘cruel on England’ headlines that were served up.
To suffer a cruel exit once is, well, cruel. To do it every two years, like clockwork, and still fail to do anything about it, is masochism.
Read all about the dramatic, history-making World Cup semi-finals here.
Sir Alf Ramsey: England 1973 focuses on the final full year of Sir Alf’s reign as England boss. The nation that won the World Cup in 1966 failed to even qualify for the 1974 tournament. Ramsey was suddenly a man out of time, both on and off the pitch. The failing fortunes of the England team mirrored those of a post-Empire nation heading for its own fall.
A must read for all fans. Order your copy.