FIFA World Cup 2022 Semifinal Predictions: Who Among The Final Four Are The Favourites To Win the World Cup Title in Qatar?

The FIFA World Cup 2022 is finally about to enter the business end of the competition, the semi-finals. For the last twenty days we have witnessed a roller coaster ride of footballing actions, ups and downs of emotions, memorable frames and the last walks of legends. After a series of unexpected elimination of pre-tournament favourites in the quarterfinals, it is now time to figure out who are the actual favourites to win the title and finally in whose hand the prestigious cup will shine on the night of December 18. Let's look for the answers.  FIFA World Cup 2022: After Neymar, Croatia Aim To End Lionel Messi’s World Cup Dream 

 1. Argentina

One of the pre-tournament favourites still surviving in the competition. Although they didn't start the tournament well, they adapted to the demands of tournament football immediately after and since then Lionel Scaloni's team has constantly evolved throughout the competition. They have faced the most varieties of defensive organization and found a way to breach them all. Although, having Lionel Messi in the team feels like having a masterkey for every lock but the inclusion of Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister and Julian Alavarez have helped change things for Argentina. Now as Emiliano Martinez is also showing signs of form, the only thing that will keep worrying them is the game management deep in second half. Otherwise, Argentina looks like the strongest candidate to go all the way through.

2. France

The defending champions have settled their mission of winning the title second time in a row and their consistency till now has suggested nothing to change it. France has always been a team focused on winning key moments in a game. Through this method, despite being second best for a major portion of a game, they can grind out a positive result in their favour. A team, set-up mostly for counterattacks, has thrived on the offensive combination of Kylian Mbappe and Olivier Giroud, supported well by Theo Hernandez. The midfield trio, which has been thought as the weaklink in the absence of Paul Pogba and N'golo Kante, didn't put a foot wrong thanks to the performances of Antoine Greizman, Adrien Rabiot and Aurelien Tchouameni. Although, they have a major weakness in defensive transitions, their method and individual brilliance makes them the favourites just behind Argentina. France vs Morocco Head-to-Head Record: Ahead of FIFA World Cup 2022 Semifinal, A Look at Last Five Results Between Two Nations | ⚽ LatestLY

3. Croatia

 If method and tactics is talked about, no team tops Croatia. They are one step away from recreating their success of 2018, but this time, they will look to go all the way through. They have managed to reach this deep in the tournament thanks to the brilliant resource management by coach Zlatko Dalic. Using the incredibly talented midfield trio of Luka Modric, Marcelo Brozovic and Mateo Kovacic, Dalic has made his team flexible to oppositions and situations and thereby overcoming the shortage of potential goal scorers. With Dominik Livakovic in top form, Croatia will be setting traps for oppositions by taking the game deep, tiring them out. Even if the game goes to penalty shootout, their experience of these situations, gives them the upper hand. After the win against Brazil, they are a close third in the list of favourites to win the title. Argentina vs Croatia Head-to-Head Record: Ahead of FIFA World Cup 2022 Semifinal, A Look at Last Five Results Between Two Nations 

4. Morocco

Already after making history to be the first African team to enter semi-finals, they eye towards the biggest prize. They have conceded only a single goal in the competition and are redifining defensive organization. Set up in a compact block both vertically and horizontally, they cover every type of space on offer. The form of Sofiyan Amrabat, Roman Saiss, Achraf Hakimi and Yassine Bonou, have made them almost impenetrable. They are fast on counters and Hakim Ziyech with his lethal deliveries can unlock defences anytime. Morocco could have positioned themselves higher in the favourites list with the performances they have shown, but the injury woes in their squad still keeps them at fourth.

Who will finally go on to lift the ultimate title still remains unknown, but it can be definitely said that the performances the final four showed this far has been blockbuster and the semi-finals action will be far more exciting than what we have watched so far.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 12, 2022 07:57 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).