Tag: France National Soccer Team

AP PHOTOS: Favorite photos from AP staff at the World Cup

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DOHA, Qatar — A World Cup that ended with Lionel Messi finally holding the golden trophy in his hands produced some unforgettable images from the staff of Associated Press photographers at the tournament in Qatar.

Through the 64 games over nearly a month of soccer, the AP deployed dozens of photographers to the eight stadiums in and around Doha.

It ended at Lusail Stadium with Argentina beating France in a penalty shootout for the title, and a photo of Messi hoisted above the crowd with the World Cup trophy in his hand.

It was one of a group of photos chosen by staff members as their favorite of the tournament.

There were other memorable moments, and other star players. Like Cristiano Ronaldo, who may have played his last World Cup match with Portugal at the age of 37. Like Neymar, who overcame an ankle injury to return to the field but ultimately lost in the quarterfinals with Brazil. Like Luka Modric, who made it back to the semifinals with Croatia a year after reaching the final. And like Kylian Mbappe, who became only the second player to score a hat trick in a World Cup final despite France’s loss to Argentina.

The tournament in Qatar has been criticized for years because of the country’s human rights record and it started with more controversy when FIFA threatened to penalize players who wanted to wear an unofficial captain’s armband to promote inclusion.

Four-time champion Germany was one of those teams, and the players decided to take a team picture before their opening match with each holding his hand over his mouth to show they were being silenced.

There were pictures off the field as well, like of the fans who make the World Cup so special. And even a cricket photo with migrant workers playing their favorite game on a rocky lot in the city with skyscrapers all around them.

In the end, though, it was all about Messi and that World Cup trophy in his grateful hands.

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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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December 24, 2022
Fans to welcome French team in Paris after World Cup loss

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PARIS — Fans are set to welcome the France team in central Paris on Monday evening after its loss against Argentina in in one of the greatest finals in World Cup history.

Kylian Mbappé and his teammates, who left Qatar on Monday, are expected to go to Place de la Concorde in the evening to greet supporters, according to a statement from the French Football Federation.

In contrast with 2018, when France won the World Cup in Russia, the players will not have a parade on the Champs-Elysees avenue.

In his first message published on Instagram and Twitter following Sunday’s defeat, Mbappé posted a photo of himself, head down, behind the World Cup trophy with the message: “We will be back.”

More than 24 million people — eight out of 10 viewers — watched the final on French TF1 television, a record high.

France played its part in one of the most memorable finishes in World Cup history, even though the defending champions failed to retain the title. Mbappé’s hat trick of goals helped give France a 3-3 draw with Argentina after extra time, leading to a penalty shootout.

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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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December 19, 2022
World Cup final ends just in time for Fox’s NFL coverage

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Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi provided more drama leading up to Sunday’s early NFL games on Fox than Howie Long and Terry Bradshaw.

Sunday’s World Cup final in Qatar between Argentina and France went to extra time and penalty kicks, bumping Fox’s “NFL Sunday” pregame show off the air. The fútbol ended just in time for Americans to catch kickoff for the at 1 p.m. EST.

Argentina’s Gonzalo Montiel knocked in the decisive penalty kick at 12:55 p.m. That gave Fox a couple of minutes to capture Argentina’s celebration and allowed commentators some time to provide thoughts before the network switched to NFL.

At the beginning of extra time, Fox said via social media that the trophy ceremony would air on FS1. A graphic on Fox immediately after the match ended also told viewers to switch to FS1.

Had the game finished in regulation, Fox’s plan was to air the trophy ceremony before going to NFL pregame coverage at 12:30 p.m.

Some soccer fans were not happy with the trophy presentation being booted to a Fox sister channel.

The possibility of the World Cup colliding with kickoffs of NFL games did prompt some funny exchanges on social media.

Some NFL teams caught a little bit of World Cup fever. One of the video boards at MetLife Stadium showed the penalty kicks as the New York Jets and Detroit Lions were taking the field. The penalty kicks were also aired in Houston before the Texans took on the Kansas City Chiefs.

Ratings for Sunday’s final are expected to be released Sunday and should be higher than the 12.51 million viewers Fox averaged for the 2018 final between France and Croatia.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP—NFL

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December 18, 2022
Live updates | Argentina plays France in World Cup final

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LUSAIL, Qatar — The Latest from the World Cup final between Argentina and France:

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The World Cup final is heading into extra time with Argentina and France level at 2-2. Two goals by Kylian Mbappé toward the end of the second half have put the defending champions back in the game.

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Kylian Mbappé has made it 2-2. Just one minute after scoring on the penalty the France forward strikes again, on a volley.

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Kylian Mbappé has scored on a penalty kick for France. Argentina is still in the lead 2-1.

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The second half of the final at Lusail Stadium has begun.

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Argentina has a 2-0 lead against France at half-time in the World Cup final after goals by Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria.

Messi scored on a 23rd-minute penalty kick after a foul on Di Maria. Thirteen minutes later Di Maria finished off a flowing team move involving a deft flick from Messi.

Messi now has 12 World Cup goals — the same as Brazil great Pelé — and is the first player to score in the group stage and every round of the knockout stage in a single edition of the tournament.

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Angel Di Maria has made it 2-0 for Argentina in the World Cup final.

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Lionel Messi has scored on a penalty to make it 1-0 for Argentina against France. It was Messi’s 12th World Cup goal.

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Lionel Messi is making a record 26th appearance at the World Cup, breaking a tie with Germany great Lothar Matthäus.

Messi’s games have been spread over five World Cups, starting in 2006. He has 11 goals in total, tied for sixth in the all-time list.

Messi has said this is likely to be his last World Cup.

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The 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and defending champion France has started.

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French President Emmanuel Macron has arrived at Lusail stadium for the World Cup final.

About 45 minutes before kickoff, Macron was chatting in the VVIP section with Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimović, who played for four seasons at Paris Saint-Germain, and France midfielder Paul Pogba, who has had to watch the entire World Cup from the sidelines due to an injury.

Pogba scored in the final when France won the 2018 World Cup but was not fit for selection at this tournament.

Macron also attended the final four years ago, when France beat Croatia 4-2, and later celebrated with players in the locker room.

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The closing ceremony for the World Cup featured artists from around the world performing songs from the official soundtrack of the tournament in Qatar.

The performers at Lusail stadium included Nigerian singer Davido and Qatari-based songwriter Aisha, Congolese artist Gims and Puerto Rican reggaeton singer Ozuna.

The show, featuring fireworks and a light show, was meant to celebrate the world coming together for the monthlong tournament in the Gulf emirate.

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Lionel Messi will lead an Argentina team containing Angel Di Maria, who starts for the first time since sustaining a foot injury against Poland in the final round of group games.

Di Maria takes the place of Leandro Paredes in midfield as Argentina again rolls out a 4-4-2 formation, with Messi one of the two forwards. Nicolas Tagliafico is preferred to Marcos Acuña at left back.

Kylian Mbappé starts up front for France alongside Olivier Giroud, who has overcome a minor knee injury. Dayot Upamecano and Adrien Rabiot come in for Ibrahima Konaté and Youssouf Fofana, respectively.

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The lineups for the World Cup final:

Argentina: Emiliano Martínez; Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Nicolás Otamendi, Nicolas Tagliafico; Angel Di Maria, Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernández, Alexis Mac Allister; Julián Álvarez, Lionel Messi.

France: Hugo Lloris; Jules Koundé, Raphael Varane, Dayot Upamecano, Theo Hernandez; Aurélien Tchouaméni, Antoine Griezmann, Adrien Rabiot; Ousmane Dembélé, Kylian Mbappé, Olivier Giroud.

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Blue, white and red face paint is being applied and Champagne is on ice as France collectively crosses fingers and toes in hopes that Les Bleus will win their third World Cup title by beating Argentina.

French TV carried live images of the France team leaving its hotel in Qatar en route for the championship match and of the players arriving at the stadium. Among them, a smiling Kylian Mbappé looked particularly relaxed.

In Paris, the Metro operator marked the momentous occasion by temporarily renaming one of its stations, changing the stop “Argentina” to “Argentina-France, let’s go les Bleus!”

Players past and present sent messages of support.

“Playing a World Cup final is a childhood dream. Let’s go and get this third star! Allez les Bleus!” Zinedine Zidane posted on Instagram.

Striker Karim Benzema, the Ballon d’Or winner who missed this World Cup with a torn left-thigh muscle, posted: “The hour is come. All together. Let’s go.”

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World Cup final referee Szymon Marciniak is the first from Poland to handle the title game.

Marciniak, 41, missed working at the European Championship last year due to a heart problem.

“Only I and my team know how difficult of a time it was for me,” Marciniak said of his Tachycardia illness from which he has now recovered.

Marciniak has refereed both finalists already in Qatar. He handled France’s 2-1 win over Denmark in Group D and Argentina’s 2-1 win against Australia in the round of 16.

One of his assistants in the final is following in his father’s touchline steps. Tomasz Listkiewicz will hold a flag as an assistant running the line just as his father Michal did at the 1990 final in Rome, when defending champion Argentina lost 1-0 to West Germany.

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The World Cup champions will earn $42 million in prize money for their soccer federation while the losing team in the final will get $30 million from a FIFA prize fund of $440 million.

Not all the money goes to players, but they are expected to get a good chunk of it. France players such as Kylian Mbappé are in line to be paid a bonus of 554,000 euros ($586,000) by their federation for winning the final, French sports daily L’Equipe reported.

Third-place team Croatia earned $27 million in prize money and Morocco, which ended up in fourth, will be paid $25 million.

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Argentines woke up ready to watch the national team play for its third World Cup title amid a national feeling of unity and joy that is rare for a country that has been engulfed in an economic crisis for years and has one of the worst inflation rates in the world.

Argentina will face France in the final in Qatar and fan Guillermo Ortiz says “the whole city is dressed with the flag.”

Argentina last reached the World Cup final in 2014 but lost to Germany. Everyone in the country agrees the sense of anticipation and excitement for this year’s game is far higher than it ever was for that match in Brazil.

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It’s now or never for Lionel Messi.

The Argentina superstar’s once-in-a-generation career will be defined — for many — by whether he leads his country to the World Cup title.

Can he finally, at the age of 35, win soccer’s biggest prize to secure his place alongside Pelé and Diego Maradona in the pantheon of the game’s greatest ever players?

Standing in his way is France, the defending champion, and Kylian Mbappé, the player best positioned to take over from Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as soccer’s marquee name.

That’s if he hasn’t already.

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Argentina arguably has the World Cup’s most fervent fans.

They are known for their rhythmical singing, incessant drumming and trance-like ferocity, and the country’s history of success at the World Cup is rivaled by few.

Argentina won the World Cup in 1978 and 1986 and lost in the final three times. This fervor will only grow as Lionel Messi leads Argentina against defending champion France in the final in Qatar.

Argentines take pride in the intensity and they are proud to be known for it around the world. They care deeply about soccer and they are among the best in the world at it.

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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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December 18, 2022
Key players in World Cup final between France and Argentina

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DOHA, Qatar — Lionel Messi will line up for Argentina and Kylian Mbappé will be on the opposite side for France on Sunday in the World Cup final.

Messi has been there before, but lost in the 2014 final to Germany. Mbappé won the 2018 title after scoring a goal against Croatia.

However, neither will be able to win the gold trophy entirely on their own at Lusail Stadium.

Here is a look at some of the key players on both teams, and their coaches:

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LIONEL MESSI

The 35-year-old Messi is the heart and soul of the Argentina team, the tournament’s co-leading scorer with five goals and tied for the most assists with three. Look for the Paris Saint-Germain forward to burst into creative life when he sees a chance to make something happen. A World Cup title would finally complete Messi’s elevation alongside Diego Maradona to icon status.

JULIAN ALVAREZ

Alvarez made it off the bench to replace Lautaro Martinez as the World Cup progressed and scored four goals in four starts with Argentina. The 22-year-old Machester City player is a powerful runner who created a perfect partnership with Messi in the 3-0 win over Croatia in the semifinals.

EMILIANO MARTINEZ

Martinez is an imposing 6-foot-4 goalkeeper with a personality to match his stature. “Dibu” would be favored if the final goes to a penalty shootout. The 30-year-old Aston Villa keeper made key saves in Argentina’s shootout win over the Netherlands in the quarterfinals and in last year’s Copa America semifinals.

NAHUEL MOLINA

Molina is an energetic fullback with the toughness expected of any Argentina defender. The 24-year-old Atletico Madrid defender also has attacking instincts. He received the no-look pass of the tournament from Messi to score against the Netherlands.

ENZO FERNANDEZ

Fernandez started the tournament as a substitute but was in the team to stay after scoring with his fast feet and a curling shot in Argentina’s victory over Mexico. The 21-year-old Benfica player anchors the center of midfield and will be trying to stop Antoine Griezmann’s forward forays.

LIONEL SCALONI

Scaloni was an assistant coach at the 2018 World Cup — when Argentina exited in the round of 16 against France – and is now an unheralded success in the top job. He brought a 35-game unbeaten run to Qatar that included ending a long wait for a Copa America last year. The 44-year-old Scaloni has succeeded in surrounding Messi with a midfield that lets him flourish.

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KYLIAN MBAPPE

Mbappé is France’s fastest, most dynamic scoring threat on the field. The 23-year-old Paris Saint-Germain forward is tied with Messi with a World Cup-leading five goals. A standout game against Argentina will place him among the all-time greats.

ANTOINE GRIEZMANN

The 31-year-old Griezmann has been a revelation for France at this year’s World Cup. Once a goal-scoring winger, the Atletico Madrid forward has added relentless defensive protection to his creative craft. A duel could develop with Messi between the lines of Argentina’s attack.

HUGO LLORIS

The 35-year-old Tottenham goalkeeper is poised to become the first-ever captain of two World Cup-winning teams. A quiet-spoken leader by example, he now holds France’s all-time appearance record.

RAPHAEL VARANE

At his third World Cup, the 29-year-old Varane is a fixture in the center of a France defense that keeps changing because of injury and illness. The four-time Champions League winner at Real Madrid is back to near his elegant best after an injury scare in October.

AURELIEN TCHOUAMENI

Tchouaméni arrived on the world stage ahead of schedule in the midfield role Paul Pogba had for France four years ago. He matched Pogba’s shooting power with his goal against England. Learning at Real Madrid this season, after spurning Mbappé’s urging to go to PSG, should prepare the 22-year-old midfielder for facing Argentina.

DIDIER DESCHAMPS

In his 11th year as France coach, Deschamps can become only the second man to lead two World Cup-winning teams and the first since 1938. The 54-year-old Deschamps has integrated inexperienced players to replace injured veterans without losing any of his team’s typical calm assurance.

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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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December 16, 2022
Messi, Mbappe, other leading storylines for World Cup Final

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DOHA, Qatar — Lionel Messi’s last chance. Kylian Mbappé’s shot at emulating Pelé. A third World Cup title for either Argentina or France.

Sunday’s final is rich with storylines as the 22nd edition of the World Cup ends with a title match fit for the occasion.

Here are five things to know about the final:

MESSI’S MOMENT

Is Lionel Messi the greatest soccer player of all time? The debate will rage forever because there can never be a definitive answer. Some — especially younger soccer fans — think so, while others will point to Pelé and Diego Maradona, particularly because they won the World Cup — the sport’s ultimate prize. It is why, to many, Messi needs to win the World Cup to join Pelé and Maradona in the pantheon of the greatest ever players, even if deciding who is No. 1, 2 and 3 comes down to individual choice. Argentines would still be split between Maradona and Messi. And there have been striking similarities between them as Messi displays the kind of relentless brilliance and fighting spirit shown by Maradona when leading the team to the title in 1986. Messi is heading into his second World Cup final, having been on the losing team in 2014 when he was contained well by Germany except for one chance that he dragged wide in the second half. Can he seize his chance this time in likely his final appearance on soccer’s biggest stage?

MBAPPE’S DOUBLE?

Mbappé might not have won the biggest prize in club soccer — the Champions League — but he is taking the international game by storm and is one victory away from winning back-to-back World Cups by the age of 23. He can emulate Pelé’s achievement in winning his first two World Cups — not just that but leading the team as its star player. Mbappé is soccer’s latest superstar, leading the new wave of talent in the game after 15 years of domination from Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. It will be regarded as a real baton-passing moment if Mbappé wins the World Cup at the expense of the 35-year-old Messi.

THIRD TITLE

Both Argentina and France are looking to win the World Cup for the third time. It would leave the winning team in outright fourth place on the all-time list, behind Brazil (five), Germany and Italy (both four). Three of Germany’s titles were won by West Germany (1954, 1974 and 1990). A victory for France would rubber-stamp its status as the dominant national team of this generation, with its previous titles coming in 1998 and 2018. Argentina won its titles in 1978 and 1986. Both of the countries won their first World Cup title when hosting the tournament.

DESCHAMPS’ TREBLE

Deschamps has already won the World Cup as a player (1998) and a coach (2018), like Brazil’s Mario Zagallo and Germany’s Franz Beckenbauer. Neither Zagallo nor Beckenbauer won it twice as a coach, though Zagallo did achieve that feat twice as a player to make him a three-time career champion. History beckons, then, for Deschamps, who was an industrious, deep-lying midfielder as a player — once referred to as “The Water Carrier” by French player Eric Cantona because of his ability to stifle attacks from opponents and then pass the ball simply to more creative players around him. Pragmatism is the key to his coaching style as well, with France renowned at both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups for defending compactly, hitting teams on the break and being clinical with its finishing. In Russia four years ago, France averaged 48% possession in matches and averaged six shots on goal per match — the second lowest at the tournament. In Qatar, France — hurt by injuries to key players — might not have been the best team but it is the most efficient. “I’m not the most important person,” Deschamps said. “It’s the French team.”

GOLDEN BOOT

Four players are in realistic contention to win the Golden Boot, the award given to the top scorer at the World Cup. Of course, Messi and Mbappé are among them. They each have five goals so far, one more than Argentina striker Julián Álvarez and France center forward Olivier Giroud. According to tournament regulations, if two or more players are tied on goals and have played the same number of games, the one with the most assists takes the prize. FIFA’s technical study group will decide what counts as an assist. Of the four players in contention, Messi currently leads the way with three assists, one more than Mbappé. No player has scored more than six goals at a World Cup since Brazil striker Ronaldo had eight in 2002.

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Steve Douglas is at https://twitter.com/sdouglas80

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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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December 16, 2022
France advances to semifinals at World Cup, tops England 2-1

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AL KHOR, Qatar — France’s players reacted as if they had already won the World Cup. What they were actually celebrating, though, was Harry Kane’s missed penalty.

The match wasn’t over yet, but France was leading 2-1 when Kane, England’s captain and its best player, stepped up to take a penalty that would even the score in the 84th minute of Saturday’s match at Al Bayt Stadium.

He sent his shot high over the bar and defending champion France held on to win 2-1 for a spot in the semifinals.

“That’s ,” England coach Gareth Southgate said. “There is nobody I would rather have in that situation and if we had one tomorrow, I’d feel exactly the same way.”

France is looking to become the first country to successfully defend its World Cup title since Brazil — led by Pele — won back-to-back tournaments in 1958 and 1962. Italy also won two World Cups in succession in 1934 and 1938.

France will next face Morocco on Wednesday for a spot in the final.

“We are getting to the semifinals. We are closer to the final and this was an important achievement tonight and we can believe, but we have an important game on Wednesday,” France coach Didier Deschamps said. “In the past the world champions didn’t always do well in the next World Cup and we’ve managed to do that.”

France knows that all too well.

As defending champions in 2002, the French team was eliminated in the group stage. France reached the final in 2006, losing to Italy in a penalty shootout, and then was knocked out in the group stage four years later in 2010.

On Saturday, Aurelian Tchouameni gave France the lead but England evened the score when Kane converted from the penalty spot in the 54th minute. Olivier Giroud put France back in front with a header in the 78th minute, setting up Kane for that chance to equalize again against his Tottenham teammate, France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.

That’s when he blasted his shot over.

“It is very difficult when you get a second penalty and, of course, a goalkeeper that knows you really well as well,” Southgate said. “There’s a lot involved in that situation. He’s the best, but the best are still 85% (accurate), so even the best are going to miss at times.”

Kane sank to his knees after the final whistle. His earlier goal put him in a tie with Wayne Rooney as his country’s leading scorer, but that wasn’t what mattered.

At the same time, an elated France team ran across the field in a blue wave of celebration before gathering together in a huddle, bouncing up and down joyously.

The singing and dancing continued into the locker room.

Morocco, the first African team to reach the semifinals of a World Cup, now stands in the way of France’s bid to make history.

“Allow us to savour our victory tonight against a very good England team,” Deschamps said when faced with questions about his next opponent.

For Southgate, it’s time for reflection as he decides whether to carry on in the England job after leading the team through three tournaments since he was hired in 2016.

“Whenever I’ve finished these tournaments I’ve needed time to make the correct decision because emotionally you go through so many different feelings and the energy that it takes through these tournaments is enormous,” he said. “I want to make the right decision, whatever that is for the team, for England, the FA (Football Association). I think it is right to take time to do that.

“I know in the past how much my feelings have fluctuated in the immediate aftermath of tournament.”

BOLD APPROACH

Southgate has often been criticized for being too cautious in the biggest games, but he opted for a back four against France and loaded his team with attacking threats.

FLAT START

Maguire kicked the ball out of play at the very beginning of the match even though there was no pressure from a France opponent. Air was leaking out of the ball and Maguire informed the referee that a new one was needed.

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James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson

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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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December 10, 2022
Memorial to American writer Wahl placed at World Cup game

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AL KHOR, Qatar — American soccer writer Grant Wahl was honored with a tribute from FIFA on the desk where he was due to work Saturday at the World Cup quarterfinal match between France and England.

A posy of white lilies and a framed photograph of Wahl taken in Qatar was left at the media seat that had been assigned to the 48-year-old journalist who died at the World Cup in the early hours of Saturday.

“Tonight we pay tribute to Grant Wahl at his assigned seat in Al Bayt Stadium. He should have been here,” FIFA said in a statement. “Our thoughts remain with his wife Céline, his family, and his friends at this most difficult time.”

Wahl fell ill while working during extra time of the Argentina-Netherlands game on Friday at Lusail Stadium. He was treated by medical staff in the media tribune and later taken by ambulance to the hospital.

He was reporting at his eighth World Cup.

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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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December 10, 2022
Tenacity and penalties, keys to Croatia’s deep World Cup run

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DOHA, Qatar — With a population of around four million people, the magnitude of Croatia’s win against Brazil was not lost on Croatian coach Zlatko Dalić.

To reach to reach back-to-back World Cup semifinals was “unimaginable” he said.

The runner-up from 2018 is going deep again in Qatar – defeating Neymar and Co. 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw through extra time at Education City Stadium on Friday.

“To eliminate a massive tournament favorite and probably the best team as well… Only Croatia could’ve done this,” added Dalić.

Okay, this wasn’t Saudi Arabia shocking Argentina. But on the face of it, Croatia’s victory against the five-time world champions could rank among a host of upsets already produced by a tournament that is refusing to stick to the script.

And by looking at the faces of Brazil’s distraught fans and inconsolable players afterwards, they certainly didn’t seem prepared to be heading home at this early stage.

Perhaps they should have taken a closer look at Croatia’s pedigree at the World Cup – and the spirit of a team that doesn’t seem to know how to give up.

Croatia may have been the underdog against Brazil, but it did reach the final in Russia four years ago and was a semifinalist in its very first World Cup as an independent nation in 1998 – losing to France on both occasions.

Compare that to Brazil, which has only made it past the quarterfinals once since last winning the tournament in 2002.

So how does a country with a population ranked at 128th in the world according to size continue to overperform on the biggest stage of all?

One factor that cannot be discounted is the wider story of Croatia’s fight for independence following the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s when thousands of its people died during the conflict.

The fighting spirit of the nation is a theme frequently referenced by its players and Dalić.

“This all comes from how we were raised,” said goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic, who was born in January 1995, seven months before Croatia took control of the city of Knin, which is commemorated annually as a key moment in the battle for independence.

“We always go all the way to the end, we leave everything we got on the pitch and we keep fighting. That is the reason for our success.”

Imperious midfielder and captain Luka Modric had set the scene even before kick off against Brazil.

“We believe in ourselves. We are capable of anything,” 37-year-old Real Madrid star said before the match, adding that Croatia is “simply, a talented nation.”

That is a crucial point.

For all the talk of spirit and resolve, the sheer quality of Croatia’s players should not be overlooked.

Modric is a five-time Champions League winner with Madrid and a recipient of the highest individual honor in soccer, the Ballon d’Or award for the best player in the world.

He won that trophy in 2018, ahead of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and, notably, Kylian Mbappé, who had starred in France’s World Cup triumph that year.

Modric was a beaten finalist, but was also named the best player of the tournament.

His full repertoire of skills was on show again against Brazil, while midfield partner Mateo Kovacic provides the tireless running alongside him.

“In my opinion, Croatia have the best midfield in the world,” said Dalić. “We have a lovely passing game, can control games.

“They managed to keep the ball, maintain possession, and we sort of paralysed our opponent with our passing game. That was exactly our aim.”

And then there is Croatia’s expertise in penalty shootouts, which are generally considered soccer’s ultimate test of nerve.

Twice in Russia and now twice in Qatar, Croatia has had to rely on penalties to progress. After four straight wins from the spot, Dalić claims his team has a psychological advantage over its opponents, with Brazil the latest to fall victim to his specialists.

“Once we get to penalties, that’s when we become favorites. I sense that the opponent feels like they have lost the game already,” he said.

With three 0-0 score lines in regulation time and four draws from five games at this World Cup, Croatia has not been the most entertaining team to watch at the tournament.

But when it comes to nerve, steel and sheer fight, it takes some beating.

Argentina, Croatia’s opponents in the semifinals, may want to take note.

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James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson

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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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December 10, 2022
Australia’s emotions run high after rare World Cup win

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AL WAKRAH, Qatar — Mitchell Duke celebrated scoring Australia’s winning goal by forming a “J” with his fingers in a tribute to his son Jaxson, who was in the stands.

Coach Graham Arnold dragged injured winger Martin Boyle — on crutches — into the celebratory huddle as fans sang merrily along to Men at Work’s “Down Under,” blaring over the stadium speakers after the final whistle.

Later, Arnold was wiping away tears.

It was an emotion-filled day for Australia, which beat Tunisia 1-0 Saturday for only its third win in World Cup matches.

Duke gave Australia the lead midway through the first half with a header.

“I actually was messaging some of my family, saying that I was going to score today, and I told my son that I was going to be able to share this moment with him and get that celebration,” Duke said. “I haven’t seen it yet but apparently he did it back to me from the stadium, which was a really special moment that I’m going to treasure for the rest of my life.”

Australia hadn’t won at the World Cup since beating Serbia in 2010 and it means the Socceroos still have a chance to qualify for the round of 16, despite losing to defending champion France 4-1 in their opening match.

Boyle was injured a few weeks before the tournament and Arnold explained why he moved him into the team’s staff as “vibe manager” in Qatar.

“To keep all the guys up, because he’s one of the most fantastic blokes you’ll ever meet,” Arnold said. “There was no way he wanted to go home, and no way I wanted to send him home. He deserves it more than anybody for what he did in the qualifying campaign.”

In the final round of group games on Wednesday, Tunisia will play France and Australia will meet Denmark.

After a scrappy start from both sides, Australia went ahead with a play out of the back from its goalkeeper. Duke collected the goalkeeper’s pass near the middle of the field and made a quick touch to set Craig Goodwin down the left flank. Duke then sprinted forward to nod Goodwin’s deflected cross into the far corner with his back to the goal.

The score quieted the large contingent of red-clad Tunisia fans among the crowd of 41,823 inside Al Janoub Stadium, and sent the small pockets of Australian supporters dressed in yellow into delirium.

Tunisia impressed when it held European Championship semifinalist Denmark to a 0-0 draw in its opener but only occasionally threatened against Australia until the Aussies sat back and defended toward the end.

Australia had also gotten off to an early 1-0 lead over France in its opener but then was outplayed in a loss which it blamed on a series of defensive errors.

There were fewer errors this time, and some timely interventions, too — none bigger than a last-gasp sliding clearance from center back Harry Souttar to block Mohamed Dräger’s dangerous shot shortly before halftime.

Tunisia is still seeking to advance from the group stage for the first time in its sixth World Cup appearance but now needs to beat France.

“This edition of the World Cup has had surprises for everyone, the larger squads have been defeated,” Tunisia coach Jalel Kadri said. “We still have one more match to go and we’ll play our hearts out.”

NO CELEBRATING

Still not sure of advancing, Arnold warned his players in his post-match speech about getting too excited.

“I just said, ’No doubt the nation is extremely proud, but we’ve done nothing. You’ve achieved something we can talk about when we get home. I don’t want any celebration. Just enjoy these couple of minutes on the pitch with the fans. Then ice baths, recover and get ready for the next one,’” Arnold said.

PRIME TIME

Fans watching at home in Australia witnessed the win in a rare World Cup match shown in prime time on a Saturday night Down Under.

“There’s one or two teams that bring the nation together and that is the Socceroos and the Matildas,” Arnold said, using the nicknames for Australia’s men’s and women’s national teams. “When the Socceroos play at World Cups, AFL fans, rugby league fans, cricket fans; they all become football fans. And I can imagine the celebrations that are going on at home. … I think they’ll be a few hangovers in the morning.”

POLITICAL STATEMENT

During the second half, Tunisia fans held aloft a large Palestinian flag with the words “Free Palestine” printed on it.

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Andrew Dampf is at https://twitter.com/AndrewDampf

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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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November 26, 2022