Croatia v Morocco, 17 December 2022

Kick-off: 6.00pm local (3.00pm GMT) . FIFA world ranking: Croatia 12, Morocco 22 . This was Croatia’s second 3rd place play-off at the World Cup; previously wining 2-1 against Netherlands in Paris in 1998. . Prior to their 3-0 Semi-final defeat to Argentina, Croatia conceded three goals in their five previous games at this tournament. . Croatia kept a clean sheet in all three of their previous games against African nations at the World Cup (4-0 versus Cameroon in 2014, 2-0 versus Nigeria in 2018 and 0-0 versus Morocco in 2022, all group games). . Luka Modric became the third player to play in seven games at a World Cup tournament at the age of 37 or over after goalkeepers Dino Zoff of Italy in 1982 and England’s Peter Shilton in 1990. . Aged 20 years and 328 days, Joško Gvardiol became Croatia’s youngest-ever goalscorer in a game at the World Cup finals. . A European nation had now won the last 11 World Cup 3rd place play-offs since 1978 when Brazil beat Italy 2-1 in Buenos Aires. . Having become the first African nation to reach the Semi-finals of the World Cup, this was Morocco’s first 3rd place play-off. . Morocco failed in their attempt to become the eighth team to keep clean sheets in five games at a World Cup tournament after Netherlands (1974), Italy (1990), Brazil (1994), France (1998), Germany (2002), Italy (2006) and Spain (2010). . Prior to their 2-0 Semi-final defeat to France, Morocco conceded one goal in their five previous games at this tournament. . One of the World Cup’s previous 19 3rd place play-offs went in to extra-time (France’s 4-2 win against Belgium in Puebla in 1986). . None of the World Cup’s previous 19 3rd place play-offs went to penalties. . Croatia met Morocco in their opening group game at his tournament (drew 0-0).