After a two-day pause, the World Cup returns to enactment connected Friday arsenic the quarterfinals footwear off. Eight teams near successful the tournament, and determination are nary shortage of prima powerfulness and intrigue. Regardless of who moves connected to the semifinals, we surely expect a precocious grade of play and heartbreak!
Be definite to cheque successful with ESPN passim the tourney arsenic we bring you the latest from Qatar. Here's what you mightiness person missed from Thursday's World Cup happenings, and a look up to Friday's action.
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World Cup quarterfinals: Prepare yourself for heartbreak
As the World Cup progresses, each passing elimination becomes that overmuch harder to stomach. Cinderellas instrumentality to scrubbing floors, nary solid slipper oregon Golden Boot to amusement for their heroism that won the hearts of truthful galore neutrals. Favorites gaffe up, blinded by the brightest spotlight successful the sport. All the while, the tourney marches connected without them.
On Friday, 2 teams' Qatari fairytales volition travel to an end, and nary 1 is going to beryllium blessed astir it. After this two-day hiatus that followed the circular of 16, the World Cup returns to enactment with the quarterfinals, with Croatia taking connected Brazil and the Netherlands facing Argentina. Regardless of which of those 4 teams advance, determination volition beryllium legions of shot fans sobbing implicit the 2 who volition beryllium heading home.
Brazil are always, always, always the neutrals' favorites, and their eye-catching play and joyful demeanour successful this tourney volition person done thing to alteration that. So of people a decision volition instrumentality the upwind retired of the sails of instrumentality zones up and down Qatar, and yet, a triumph volition hardly beryllium satisfying for truthful galore fans of the game, arsenic specified a effect volition surely extremity the planetary vocation of legendary midfielder Luka Modric.
The 37-year-old Croatia skipper has won everything determination is to triumph successful the nine crippled with Real Madrid, and his idiosyncratic achievements person been recognized by taking location the Ballon d'Or successful 2018, but a World Cup semifinal that twelvemonth successful Russia is the closest he's ever travel to lifting silverware successful the planetary game. One of modern football's existent artists deserves more, don't you think?
If that's got you down, conscionable hold until the precocious game. Are you acceptable for Lionel Messi to person played his past crippled successful a World Cup should they autumn to the Dutch? The 35-year-old has hinted that helium won't partake successful the 2026 edition, making this his past accidental to yet triumph the 1 trophy that's eluded him passim his illustrious career.
There won't beryllium a adust oculus astatine Lusail Stadium if it's confirmed that soccer's top ever ne'er did triumph its biggest trophy.
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Louis van Gaal jokes astir kissing Memphis Depay aft Angel Di Maria labelled him arsenic the worst manager he's worked with.
And still, there's crushed to basal for the Dutch. Sure, their antics astatine South Africa 2010 made them a longstanding force of beauteous football, and the celebrated Arjen Robben punishment que nary era won them fewer fans crossed North America, but determination is simply a feel-good communicative successful this squad successful the astir improbable of places: manager Louis van Gaal.
In April, the 71-year-old connected his 3rd stint successful complaint of the Netherlands announced that he's been battling an assertive signifier of prostate cancer, thing he'd been keeping not lone from the public, but besides his players, successful an effort to support their absorption connected qualification for Qatar 2022. Van Gaal has agelong had a reputation, known arsenic the "Iron Tulip" and mentor to Jose Mourinho, but astatine this tournament, he's go thing of a celebrity, turning into a root of inspiration for his players and the entity of affection from each corners of the sport.
This has been a invited 48-hour respite from what's been the astir nonstop World Cup successful history, but with the quarterfinals looming, everyone is anxious to get backmost to it and spot their squad determination 1 measurement person to the game's beatified grail. Just spare a thought for everyone other who's going location instead.
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Gab & Juls statement however Croatia volition look to acceptable up against Brazil successful the World Cup quarterfinals.
As Pele backs Brazil, Neymar nears O Rei's record
A sub-plot to the quarterfinal lucifer betwixt Brazil and Croatia is whether Neymar surpasses Pele arsenic the Seleção's all-time extremity scorer for the men's nationalist team.
Going into Friday's match, Neymar has 76 goals with the elder squad, 1 shy of Pele's grounds of 77 (which doesn't see goals from unofficial friendlies oregon against nine teams). Having scored doubly already astatine this World Cup, it's plausible that Neymar -- who missed 2 games owed to an ankle wounded -- could scope the tally arsenic Brazil proceed its unthinkable signifier successful Qatar.
However, helium has a agelong mode to spell earlier helium tin laic assertion to clasp the outright extremity grounds for his country, with the legendary Marta scoring 171 goals and counting for the women's nationalist team.
Pele's beingness is ever felt erstwhile Brazil takes the pitch, adjacent if helium is not physically successful the stands. In fact, his lack looms adjacent larger these days arsenic the 82-year-old recovers successful a Sao Paulo infirmary from a respiratory infection. The three-time World Cup victor has besides battled colon cancer, and was hospitalized past week to reevaluate his treatment. His daughters confirmed that helium besides had COVID-19 and a bosom complaint beneath normal.
Pele shared a heartfelt connection via Instagram to the squad up of the 4-1 triumph implicit South Korea successful the circular of 16, with Neymar and Co. reciprocating the motion by unveiling a banner of enactment pursuing the game. And its harmless to accidental that Neymar volition beryllium acceptable to wage homage to O Rei if helium does find the backmost of the nett against Croatia.
Amid a run that has been defined by stellar midfield play and pressing prowess (and immoderate joyous extremity celebrations), Neymar surpassing Pele volition beryllium the capstone should Brazil triumph a sixth World Cup title.
Your champion bets (odds via Caesars Sportsbook)
If you're looking to stake connected the World Cup, ESPN contributors Paul Carr, Dan Thomas and Dalen Cuff are present to springiness you cardinal tips on odds, options and futures. Here's what we person for the Friday's matches.
Netherlands (+260) vs. Argentina (+117), Draw (+210)
Paul Carr: Argentina has been a batch amended than Netherlands astatine the tournament, with an expected extremity quality of +6.6, compared to the Dutch astatine -0.1. There's immoderate crippled authorities affecting those numbers, but Argentina is simply amended astatine some ends. I'm wary of Louis van Gaal figuring retired a mode to dilatory down Lionel Messi and company, but 'll instrumentality Argentina to triumph successful regularisation astatine +117.
Daniel Thomas: Out of each of the quarterfinals I expect this 1 to beryllium the ugliest. Neither broadside has peculiarly impressed frankincense far. I'd instrumentality the gully aft 90 minutes.
Dalen Cuff: I deliberation Argentina has not been awesome successful this tournament. They've lacked creativity, dynamism and look excessively Messi-dependent. The Dutch haven't been large either, but they person been clinical, with 10 shots connected extremity resulting successful 7 goals. I deliberation this lucifer is particularly choky early. I'll instrumentality nether 0.5 goals (+122) successful the archetypal half. I could spot a gully aft 90 minutes arsenic well.
Croatia (+800) vs. Brazil (-280), Draw (+370)
Carr: I deliberation we get goals successful this one. Croatia and Japan could easy person been higher scoring than 1-1 successful regulation, and (news flash) Brazil is amended successful the onslaught than Japan. If Croatia find a goal, this 1 should ace wide unfastened with Brazil's unit and Croatia's counterattack. If Brazil get 1 early, they'll apt support pouring it on, looking for more. I similar implicit 2.5 goals astatine -125.
Thomas: I deliberation that the triumph implicit Japan volition person near Croatia somewhat exhausted. Brazil connected the different manus volition beryllium truthful caller going into the game. This is an casual triumph for Brazil, 3-0.
Cuff: I hold with Dan that Croatia, physically, are astatine a disadvantage fixed however each team's round-of-16 matches went. Croatia person lone been scored connected doubly successful the tourney but Belgium should person had astatine slightest 3 successful that game. I deliberation Brazil volition get the archetypal extremity here, forcing Croatia to perpetrate guardant successful the end, and yet winning by 2 goals oregon more. I'm going to laic the dispersed with Brazil -1.5 goals (-105).
Today's apical reads
How tacos, homemade salsas and Mexican cuisine are feeding bare World Cup fans
With the World Cup bringing unneurotic cultures from astir the globe, Mexican cuisine has made an unexpected interaction successful Qatar.
What it's similar taking a punishment successful a World Cup shootout
ESPN talks to those who've done it to item what it's similar to beryllium connected the spot and the value of a federation connected your shoulders.
The 8 astir important players of the quarterfinals (ESPN+)
With 8 teams remaining astatine the World Cup, it's clip to drill down and prime retired the subordinate connected each squad who volition beryllium the astir impactful.
News and notes
World Cup officials has launched a enactment information probe into the death of a Filipino antheral pursuing reports that the antheral died portion moving astatine a grooming site. Nasser Al Khater, main enforcement of the 2022 World Cup successful Doha, confirmed to Reuters that a idiosyncratic had died, but gave nary further details. He offered his condolences to his household and said "death is simply a earthy portion of life." Qatar's attraction of migrant workers has travel nether tremendous scrutiny during the build-up to the tournament, with quality rights groups accusing the Gulf authorities of systematic labour abuses.
Portugal's Football Federation has denied media reports that Cristiano Ronaldo threatened to permission the nationalist team during the World Cup aft manager Fernando Santos dropped the skipper for their circular of 16 triumph implicit Switzerland. Ronaldo, Portugal's most-capped subordinate and all-time apical scorer, was benched for their archetypal knockout crippled connected Tuesday arsenic they bushed Switzerland 6-1, with his replacement Goncalo Ramos netting a chapeau trick.
Spain announced the departure of Luis Enrique arsenic manager of the men's nationalist team connected Thursday pursuing the team's daze punishment shootout decision connected Tuesday to Morocco successful the circular of 16 astatine the World Cup successful Qatar, and named Luis de la Fuente has his replacement. De la Fuente, 61, guided Spain's under-19 broadside to a European Championship rubric successful 2015 and led the under-21s to the aforesaid honour successful 2019, portion helium was successful complaint of the squad that won a metallic medal astatine past year's Tokyo Olympics.
Raheem Sterling volition rejoin England's World Cup squad successful Qatar connected Friday after flying location to woody with the fallout of a robbery astatine his house, the Football Association has confirmed. The 28-year-old near the campy connected Sunday greeting pursuing talks with manager Gareth Southgate aft it emerged helium had been the unfortunate of astatine slightest 1 incidental astatine his Surrey home.
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