Croatia edge Morocco to claim third place at 2022 World Cup

Croatia beat Morocco 2-1 in the World Cup third-place playoff on Saturday to secure a top three finish in the tournament for the second consecutive edition.

Runners-up in 2018, Croatia also came third in the 1998 World Cup, beating the Netherlands 2-1.

Mislav Orsic's late first-half strike was enough to settle the contest after two early goals inside the first nine minutes set the tone for a pulsating encounter, Achraf Dari cancelling out Josko Gvardiol's opener for Croatia.

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A bronze medal may have served as nothing more than consolation after both sides endured disappointment in the semi-finals, but Croatia and Morocco looked eager to make amends after losing to Argentina and France respectively.

Moroccan fans have turned up in massive numbers to support their team in Qatar and Saturday was no different as they jeered the Croatian players whenever they had possession, their whistles echoing inside the packed Khalifa International Stadium.

That did not deter Croatia, however, who started the game on the front foot and took the lead in the seventh minute through a cleverly worked set-piece.

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A cross floated into the box found Ivan Perisic who expertly headed the ball into the mix where the masked Gvardiol bravely dived in for the header to silence the Moroccan contingent, albeit briefly.

Two minutes later, Morocco responded at the other end with a set piece of their own when a cross came off Lovro Majer's head and looped into the box where an unmarked Dari