Croatia vs Morocco LIVE: World Cup third-place play-off result and final score after Mislav Orsic stunner

Croatia play Morocco in the World Cup third-place play-off in Qatar.

Luka Modric is likely to be playing his final game at the World Cup, while the Atlas Lions look to end a historic tournament on a high note despite disappointment midweek against France.

There’s speculation too surrounding the star-studded final as Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi go head-to-head at the Lusail Stadium on Sunday.

Karim Benzema’s rumoured return has been quashed by Didier Deschamps, but there are still concerns over his team selection with illness impacting the preparation for Les Bleus.

Follow all the latest news surrounding Argentina vs France, plus the team news and build-up for Croatia vs Morocco below:

Croatia vs Morocco latest updates plus Argentina vs France build-up

• Croatia face Morocco in the World Cup 2022 third-place play-off in Qatar

• 42’ GOAL! Croatia retake the lead thanks to stunning Orsic finish (2-1)

• 9' GOAL! Dari equalises as Morocco hit back immediately (1-1)

• 7’ GOAL! Gvardiol heads in set-piece routine as Croatia take early lead (1-0)

• Modric and Gvardiol start for Croatia, who aim to repeat 1998 and finish third

• Morocco without injured Aguerd, Saiss and Mazraoui, while Ounahi only on bench

• Benzema ruled out of final by Deschamps after speculation around dramatic return

• World Cup final preview: Messi vs Mbappe sees immoral tournament set for an immortal conclusion

Croatia 2-1 Morocco

16:46 , Jamie Braidwood

86 mins: Chance! Kovacic almost settles it! The midfielder bursts into the box and wriggles clear, but pulls his effort wide of the post.

Croatia 2-1 Morocco

16:44 , Jamie Braidwood

83 mins: Emotions spill over from Morocco’s players, who lose it at referee Abdulrahman Al-Jassim after Petkovic went down. Selim Amallah is booked for his protests but there were several Morocco players surrounding the referee there.

Croatia 2-1 Morocco

16:41 , Jamie Braidwood

80 mins: Ziyech’s cross drifts harmlessly out of play. Can Morocco find the equaliser to take this third-place play-off into extra time? Only one third-place play-off has gone to extra time before...

Croatia 2-1 Morocco

16:36 , Jamie Braidwood

77 mins: That may not have counted anyway if VAR went back to award Croatia a penalty, but no! Amrobat tripped Gvardiol from behind but the VAR is not interested!

Croatia 2-1 Morocco

16:35 , Jamie Braidwood

76 mins: And now a HUGE save from Livakovic! Morocco go down the other end, and the Croatia goalkeeper makes a huge stop at the feet of En-Nesyri!

Croatia 2-1 Morocco

16:34 , Jamie Braidwood

75 mins: Hang on! Gvardiol makes a bursting run into the Morocco box - where did that come from? - and is brought down from behind by Amrobat! Penalty, surely?! Nothing given!

Croatia 2-1 Morocco

16:33 , Jamie Braidwood

73 mins: Croatia have dropped very deep, but it does not look like Morocco have the energy to trouble them. After an excellent first half, there’s been very little to report on in this second half.

Croatia 2-1 Morocco

16:30 , Jamie Braidwood

70 mins: Space opens up for Vlasic as he drives through the middle. He takes the shot, but it’s sliced well wide.

Croatia 2-1 Morocco

16:26 , Jamie Braidwood

66 mins: And another injury for Morocco! You can tell this is the seventh game of their World Cup. El Yamiq is off and it means Morocco are now out of fit centre-backs. Amrobat drops into defence.

Croatia 2-1 Morocco

16:25 , Jamie Braidwood

65 mins: And now two changes for Croatia: Livaja and Majer are off and Petkovic and Pasalic replace them. Vlasic is also on after coming on for the injured Kramaric.

Croatia 2-1 Morocco

16:23 , Jamie Braidwood

62 mins: Ziyech has been very quiet in this second half and Morocco have missed the inluence of the Chelsea forward and Hakimi down the right. Morocco look tired and make two changes as Dari and Boufal are replaced by Benoun and Zaroury.

Croatia 2-1 Morocco

16:19 , Jamie Braidwood

58 mins: Better from Morocco but they are unable to create a shooting opportunity. Kramaric is down and his match looks to be over. The striker is devastated.

Croatia 2-1 Morocco

16:15 , Jamie Braidwood

55 mins: A change for Morocco, and it’s needed. The excellent Azzedine Ounahi comes on in midfield, just after Croatia had played in Kramaric. The forward had a chance but his touch let him down when he cut inside.

Croatia 2-1 Morocco

16:13 , Jamie Braidwood

53 mins: Croatia are in control and almost work a third after a smart move through the middle. Majer is unable to create room for a shot after being slipped in, and Morocco are eventually able to scramble it out of play.

Croatia 2-1 Morocco

16:11 , Jamie Braidwood

52 mins: Great defending again by Perisic. Boufal lifts a ball over the top to En-Nesyri, but Perisic covers the ground well and guides it out of play.

Croatia 2-1 Morocco

16:10 , Jamie Braidwood

50 mins: Close again! Smart play again from Croatia. Majer whips in a dangerous ball and Livaja flicks on at the near post, but it just drifts wide.

Croatia 2-1 Morocco

16:06 , Jamie Braidwood

47 mins: Close! Orsic almost does it again! He cuts inside before drilling a shot into the side netting, via a deflection.

Croatia 2-1 Morocco

16:03 , Jamie Braidwood

Back underway! Can Morocco turn this around or will Croatia hold on claim the bronze medal at this World Cup? QRP’s Ilias Chair is on for Morocco at the break.

HALF TIME! Croatia 2-1 Morocco

15:56 , Jamie Braidwood

You could argue Orsic’s goal is the greatest scored since this effort from Kasabian’s Sergio Pizzorno.

HALF TIME! Croatia 2-1 Morocco

15:52 , Jamie Braidwood

Orsic somehow scored from here - a remarkable goal, one of the best of the World Cup.

HALF TIME! Croatia 2-1 Morocco

15:48 , Jamie Braidwood

Morocco hit back immediately at the start of the half to cancel out Croatia’s equaliser, but there’s no such response here. Croatia lead at half-time, and it’s been a thriller in the third-place play-off!

GOAL! Croatia 2-1 Morocco (ORSIC 42’)

15:42 , Jamie Braidwood

WOW - what a goal this is! Stunning from Mislav Orsic as Croatia retake the lead! Kovacic kept the attack alive by winning the ball back on the edge of the box. It’s fed out wide to Orsic, who opens his body and floats a remarkable finish in off the post!

Croatia 1-1 Morocco

15:42 , Jamie Braidwood

39 mins: Ziyech looks to be in the mood again, as he has been across the World Cup. He dances inside before shooting from range, but he drags it wide.

Croatia 1-1 Morocco

15:39 , Jamie Braidwood

36 mins: Chance! Now Ziyech’s corner is glanced on by En-Nesyri at the front post, but the angle takes it away from goal. The Morocco fans continue to make a great noise, all across the stadium.

Croatia 1-1 Morocco

15:37 , Jamie Braidwood

35 min: Perisic just gets everywhere. The Tottenham forward reads Ziyech’s free-kick well and heads clear at the back post, where several Morocco players were waiting. Morocco are really going for this as they keep the pressure on.

Croatia 1-1 Morocco

15:34 , Jamie Braidwood

32 mins: Morocco are now on top and are carrying the most threat. Boufal and Bilal El Khannouss exchange a neat one-two down the left, but Gvardiol steps across well to block the shot.

Croatia 1-1 Morocco

15:31 , Jamie Braidwood

29 mins: Chance! Oooh this is lovely from Morocco. Hakimi and Ziyech link up wonderfully down the wing, but the right back’s cross is just behind Youssef En-Nesyri, who was free at the back post.

Croatia 1-1 Morocco

15:28 , Jamie Braidwood

26 mins: Another free kick opportunity for Croatia but Perisic heads over from Majer’s cross. Apart from Dari’s equaliser, it’s been all Croatia.

Croatia 1-1 Morocco

15:25 , Jamie Braidwood

24 mins: Save! Modric makes room for the shot from the edge of the box and Bono gets down to stop his low drive, but then spills it. The goalkeeper is able to sweep up before Livaja can pounce on the rebound and Morocco clear.

Croatia 1-1 Morocco

15:23 , Jamie Braidwood

20 mins: The game has started to settle down, with Croatia taking control of possession and Morocco dropping into their familiar shape. Kovacic looks to switch it out to Perisic, but the bounce beats him. It should be a good battle today between him and Hakimi.

Croatia 1-1 Morocco

15:19 , Jamie Braidwood

18 mins: Chance! Boufal loses the ball inside his half and Croatia have an opportunity in the counter-attack, but they aren’t clinical enough. It ends with Kramaric steering a header straight at Bono.

Croatia 1-1 Morocco

15:17 , Jamie Braidwood

14 mins: Well, what a start, and just what this game needed. Croatia attack again down the left and Dari and then Hakimi are called into action to clear.

GOAL! Croatia 1-1 Morocco (DARI 9')

15:10 , Jamie Braidwood

Chaos! Morocco equalise! Morocco were only behind for 90 seconds and Achraf Dari heads in at the other end. It’s from another free-kick. Hakim Ziyech’s cross was flicked on, with Dari steering in the header past Livakovic!

Game on!

GOAL! Croatia 1-0 Morocco (GVARDIOL 7’)

15:07 , Jamie Braidwood

Croatia lead! What a set-piece from Croatia! A free-kick is clipped into the box, headed square, and then powered into the net by Josko Gvardiol!

Croatia 0-0 Morocco

15:06 , Jamie Braidwood

4 mins: A chaotic start from Morocco, who have defended so well this tournament. Croatia, meanwhile, have lined up with a 3-5-2 with Perisic and Majer as the wing-backs. A tweak from the system Zlatko Dalic has used throughout the World Cup.

Croatia 0-0 Morocco

15:04 , Jamie Braidwood

2 mins: CLOSE! My word, what on earth happened here? Bono has come inches away from scoring the most astonishing own goal. A pass from his own byline goes out for a corner, narrowly missing the post!

KICK OFF! Croatia 0-0 Morocco

15:00 , Jamie Braidwood

Underway at the Khalifa International Stadium!

Croatia vs Morocco LIVE: World Cup updates

14:58 , Jamie Braidwood

Well, you can certainly see how much this means to Morocco. The anthem is belted out both on the pitch and in the stands, lots of emotion here ahead of what could be a historic day for the country.

Croatia vs Morocco LIVE: World Cup updates

14:54 , Jamie Braidwood

There is an extravagant pre-match ceremony ahead of the players emerging from the tunnel. Ivan Perisic looks a little confused by the fireworks. Anthems coming up.

Croatia vs Morocco LIVE: World Cup updates

14:51 , Jamie Braidwood

How important is the third-place play-off? It very much depends on who you ask. Four years ago, Belgium celebrated their third-place finish at the World Cup as it was their best result in tournament history. The same would apply to Morocco should they win today.

Croatia vs Morocco LIVE: World Cup updates

14:42 , Jamie Braidwood

The big challenge for both teams, of course, is how they pick themselves up from their semi-final defeats this week.

France given World Cup final boost as whole squad present at training

14:38 , Jamie Braidwood

Elsewhere, France’s selection headaches were eased on the eve of the World Cup final as their whole squad took part in training. Raphael Varane, Ibrahima Konate and Kingsley Coman, who missed training on Friday with a virus, were present at the start of Saturday’s session.

Meanwhile, Aurelien Tchouameni and left back Theo Hernandez, who also missed training on Friday because of knocks to heir hip and knee respectively, were also on the pitch with the rest of the squad.

Didier Deschamps must also evaluate both Adrien Rabiot and Dayot Upamecano after the pair missed the win over Morocco due to illness.

Both will likely be fit to play, with Rabiot almost certain to replace his replacement against Morocco in Monaco midfielder Youssouf Fofana, but Liverpool’s Konate could keep his place after impressing once again at the back.

Morocco playing seven games at one World Cup is priceless, says Regragui

14:30 , Jamie Braidwood

Morocco may not have reached the World Cup final but the players and supporters can take pride in the fact that they will leave Qatar having played seven games, a first for any African nation, according to coach Walid Regragui.

Morocco’s dream run at the World Cup ended when they were beaten by reigning champions France in the semi-finals but they still have the opportunity to leave Qatar on a high when they take on Croatia in the third-place playoff on Saturday.

Regragui said he would not make too many changes to the squad as that would upset the team balance but admitted it was a difficult and complicated game for two teams being asked to play after the disappointment of losing their semi-final matches.

“I understand it’s important to finish third rather than fourth, but my takeaway is we didn’t reach the final... We wanted to play the final on Sunday, not play tomorrow,” Regragui said.

“But I told my players this is our seventh World Cup game. If you told any Morocco fan we would be playing our seventh game on December 17, they would be proud.

“Morocco played six World Cup games in 20-odd years and now we’ve played six games in a month - this is priceless. It’s as if we played two World Cups or even more, that’s beautiful from an experience point of view.”

Morocco ready for rematch against Croatia and Modric

14:15 , Jamie Braidwood

Walid Regragui on Croatia: “We knew Croatia were going to be one of the best teams in the competition. After the first game (where Morocco and Croatia drew 0-0 in the group stage) we knew the performance was very good.

“A lot of people said Croatia were approaching the end of their cycle and would have the rug swept out from under their feet. Croatia got stick for not beating ‘underdogs’ Morocco but both teams reached the semi-final.

“There was a lot of hesitation for the first game... Both teams will want to win it (on Saturday) and it will be a great game.”

“I don’t know if it’s Modric’s last game, he’s a competitive warrior and will want to finish his World Cup in style. When he wants to finish on a great note, we should be wary.

“Hats off to Modric. What he’s doing at 37 is monumental. He was a Ballon d’Or winner and I completely understand why.”

Croatia vs Morocco: Team news as Modric starts final World Cup match

13:58 , Jamie Braidwood

Croatia and Morocco made several changes to their starting lineups for their World Cup third-place playoff at Khalifa International Stadium on Saturday, with both coaches giving opportunities to players benched during the tournament.

Morocco will be without skipper Romain Saiss who lasted only 21 minutes in the semi-final defeat by France before he was substituted, with head coach Walid Regragui saying it was a risk worth taking at the time but not for the playoff.

“We won’t be taking risks... especially Saiss. He’s been ruled out. But I’m confident and trust in our group,” Regragui had said on the eve of the game.

In defence, Achraf Hakimi and Jawad El Yamiq retain their place, with Achraf Dari and Yahya Attiat-Allah coming in for the injured Saiss and Nayef Aguerd.

Croatia skipper Luka Modric starts in midfield alongside Mateo Kovacic, but Marcelo Brozovic sits out with Lovro Majer coming in. Marko Livaja and Mislav Orsic start in attack.

Croatia vs Morocco: Starting line-ups

13:48 , Jamie Braidwood

Confirmed line-ups

Croatia XI: Livakovic; Stanisic, Sutalo, Gvardiol, Perisic; Modric, Kovacic, Majer; Orsic, Kramaric, Livaja

Morocco XI: Bono, Hakimi, Dari, El Yamiq, Attiat-Allah, Amrabat, El Khannouss, Ziyech, Sabiri, Boufal, En-Nesyri

-Morocco’s World Cup run is like Croatia’s four years ago, says Dalic

13:45 , Jamie Braidwood

Croatia are preparing for a “huge” match against Morocco in Saturday’s World Cup third-place playoff with the African team’s surprise run to the semi-finals reminiscent of Croatia’s own success at the 2018 tournament, coach Zlatko Dalic said

Morocco, punching above their weight, beat Belgium and Canada in the group stage before eliminating 2010 world champions Spain on penalties in the last 16 and then beating 2016 European champions Portugal in the quarter-finals.

Morocco’s dream run ended in the last four against France, who had beaten surprise finalists Croatia in the 2018 World Cup final, but they still became the first African and Arab country to reach a World Cup semi-final.

African football had suffered a crisis of confidence after the last World Cup in Russia, when none of the five teams made it out of the group phase, but that has now all changed with the performance of Walid Regraguis team in Qatar.

“Morocco resemble us from four years ago. No one expected them to reach this stage,” Dalic said. “They deserve to be here. They will be a more challenging opponent than in the first match.”

“They have grown in self-confidence and are motivated. For both it is a huge and major match.”

Morocco take over a World Cup that should always have been theirs

13:30 , Jack Rathborn

Morocco at last have their World Cup. The country that has spent so long trying to host the competition have probably gone one better and made themselves the story of this one.

It was a quite beautiful thing at Education City, that bore witness to a nation-making moment. That was what was most of all symbolised by the victorious Moroccan players bowing in front of their exuberant supporters, a moment of communion.

“When you have a heart, energy and love, you win matches,” mastermind head coach Walid Regragui said.

And yet there is a complicated truth to the pure joy of Morocco’s moment.

Morocco take over a World Cup that should always have been theirs

Everything wrong with the Qatar World Cup

13:20 , Jack Rathborn

ut of the many facts and figures circulated about Qatar’s problems, there is one realisation that should stand above everything. It is a disgrace that, in 2022, a country can host a World Cup where it has lured millions of people from the poorest countries on earth - often under false pretences - and then forced them into what many call “modern slavery”.

And yet this has just been accepted. The World Cup carries on, an end product of a structure that is at once Orwellian and Kafkaesque. A huge underclass of people work in an autocratic surveillance state, amid an interconnected network of issues that make it almost impossible to escape. “It’s all so embedded,” says Michael Page of Human Rights Watch.

Everything wrong with the Qatar World Cup

World Cup 2022: Best moments, disappointments and players of the tournament in Qatar

13:10 , Jack Rathborn

Argentina and France have emerged as finalists for the World Cup 2022 after some enthralling football.

There have been plenty of upsets in Qatar, while some of the world’s best have dazzled throughout the tournament.

After Saudi Arabia delivered Argentina a shock, Lionel Messi has carried his country to the final, looking for redemption after heartache in the final eight years ago against Germany in Rio de Janeiro.

From the best moments, the most outstanding player (no surprises here) and the verdict on England and Wales, who both shared disappointment.

Here Independent Sport breaks down the best and worst from Qatar:

Best World Cup moments, disappointments and players of the tournament

Lionel Messi’s day of destiny is a rare shot at World Cup final redemption

13:00 , Jack Rathborn

In the Argentina camp, there’s an encouraging line they’ve now heard from Lionel Messi a lot through this World Cup, but that has some lament to it. The 35-year-old has been repeatedly saying how much he is enjoying this World Cup, before occasionally offering a wistful caveat.

“I would have liked to enjoy more of the games with the national team.”

Some of that sentiment is down to the “s***” he says the team suffered after the shock defeat to Saudi Arabia. Some of it is down to everything that came before, and the circus around a significant number of those 171 international appearances. There were the three lost finals between 2014 and 2016, with Messi admitting to friends he has woken up in the middle of the night thinking of the Maracana eight years ago, when Argentina lost to Germany in the World Cup final. There was all the pressure, even some bad feeling.

For Lionel Messi, it all comes down to this

How Julian Alvarez became Argentina’s perfect foil for Lionel Messi

12:50 , Jack Rathborn

It is not often that a World Cup final comes around and a team playing in the North West Counties First Division South has a direct interest. Abbey Hey, based in Gorton in south east Manchester and not far at all from the Etihad Stadium, are awaiting the return of their two highest-profile players Rafael and Agustin Alvarez from international duty. Their younger brother Julian’s international duty, to be precise.

Just as Julian Alvarez’s family followed him to Manchester, they followed him to Qatar, and that meant the budding careers of his brothers in English football’s tenth tier had to be put on hold for however long Argentina remained at the tournament. At least Rafael and Agustin - or ‘Punchi’ and ‘Turron’, as they are known among the Alvarez family - have not missed much.

How Julian Alvarez became Argentina’s perfect foil for Lionel Messi

Didier Deschamps’ most masterful work has been uniting a divided football nation

12:43 , Jack Rathborn

Liberte, Egalite, Dynastie? A particularly prominent Parisian believes so. “Over the past 20 years you can say France is the top footballing country in the world,” Walid Regragui said. “They have the best players and the best coaches and they are the best team in the world.”

As France approach their fourth final in the last seven World Cups, aiming to become the first team to retain the title since Brazil in 1962, perhaps football is coming home. The World Cup, after all, was created by a Frenchman, Jules Rimet. As Didier Deschamps bids to join Pele in the select band of the three-time winners, a second Frenchman has come to assume a similar importance in the competition. France’s success owes much to one man, captain in 1998, manager in 2018 and 2022, on the brink of history again.

Final preview: Messi vs Mbappe sees immoral World Cup set for an immortal conclusion

12:30 , Jack Rathborn

Ahead of a fixture of such a scale that it can overcome most players, a figure as experienced as Didier Deschamps knows exactly what he needs to tell his squad. He’s been here before, after all, as a captain and then as the victorious manager in the last World Cup. Deschamps may have all the composure that comes with potentially being just the second coach in history to retain the trophy, but he is well aware that some players start to feel an anxious energy they can’t contain, with the knowledge that every individual could go down in history - for good or bad - infusing every moment.

Messi vs Mbappe sees immoral World Cup set for an immortal conclusion

World Cup third-place play-off: Morocco vs Croatia

12:20 , Jack Rathborn

Welcome to Independent Sport’s coverage of the World Cup third-place play-off as Morocco take on Croatia.

We’ll have live updates for the game at the Khalifa International Stadium, along with build-up to tomorrow’s big final.

The Atlas Lions ran out of steam when they faced France in the semi-finals, while Croatia was outclassed by Lionel Messi and Argentina.

There’s a chance at redemption here and to secure the bronze medal.

There should also be opportunities for some of the players less used throughout the tournament, which traditionally means more goals and a more expansive game from both teams.