The 2022 World Cup has almost delivered its verdict. If the victory will be played between French and Argentinians, Sunday, the third place of the tournament will be awarded to the winner of the Croatia-Morocco duel, Saturday December 17 at 4 p.m., at the Khalifa international stadium. of Doha. Defeated by France at the gates of the final (2-0), Morocco became the first African nation to reach the last four of a World Cup.
Completing the final podium would validate an already historic course for the Atlas Lions, even if their coach, Walid Regragui, does not hear it that way: “This classification game bothers me a bit. It’s complicated, after a disappointment, to play two days later. To be third or fourth, at the finish, you just remember that you are not in the final. »
“For Morocco, there is a real challenge, assures football historian Paul Dietschy, author of The history of football (Perrin, 2010). If he finishes third, it will be a real success, especially considering the country’s recent experience in the World Cup, which played its first final tournament in 1970.
The symbolism of the result will be less for Croatia, already third in 1998 and finalist in 2018. The observation often comes back to nations demobilized and little motivated to play a match which does not bring in any trophy.
In 1982, Platini’s France “unplugged everything”
However, this “anecdotal” meeting has sometimes retained a purely sporting appeal. For some selections, it was an opportunity to lay the groundwork for future success. “It consolidates the value of a team before other assertions”, says Paul Dietschy. The example of the German selection is the most recent illustration of this: third in 2006 and 2010, the Nationalmannschaft was crowned world champion in 2014.
Before winning their fourth star in Brazil, Germany therefore knew how to find the springs to win the small final twice. An eloquent reaction capacity, when you know to what extent the scenario of an elimination can condition the way of apprehending the small final.
Platini’s France had the bitter experience of this during the 1982 World Cup in Spain, one of the most painful pages in the history of French football. Beaten at the gates of the final, in Seville, by the Federal Republic of Germany in a Hitchcockian scenario – 3-3 and defeat on penalties after leading 3-1 during extra time – the Blues then surrendered against to the Poles (3-2 defeat), ranked third.
You have 60.89% of this article left to read. The following is for subscribers only.