Morocco make history as World Cup fairy tale continues with shock win over Portugal

DOHA, Qatar -- Morocco person go the archetypal African broadside to scope a World Cup semifinal aft dumping Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo retired successful the quarterfinals.

Youssef En-Nesyri got the lone extremity successful a melodramatic 1-0 triumph astatine Al Thumama and denied Portugal what would person been a spot successful the past 4 for the archetypal clip for 16 years.

Morocco, who had substitute Walid Cheddira sent disconnected precocious on, acceptable up a semifinal against either France oregon England astatine Al-Bayt Stadium connected Wednesday, wherever they volition again beryllium supported by a fierce assemblage who roared them past Portugal.

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JUMP TO: Player ratings | Best/worst performers | Highlights and notable moments | Postmatch quotes | Key stats | Upcoming fixtures

Rapid reaction

1. Morocco marque past by shocking Portugal

Morocco struck a immense stroke for African and Arab shot by becoming the archetypal squad to scope a World Cup semifinal. Drawn successful a radical with Belgium and Croatia, and having changed their manager conscionable months earlier the tournament, they were simply hoping for a tally to the circular of 16, but what they person achieved successful Qatar is thing abbreviated of remarkable.

Their daze triumph astatine Al Thumama -- conscionable days aft astonishing Spain successful the 2nd circular -- was played retired amid an ambiance of ear-splitting whistles each clip Portugal had the ball. And they had a batch -- touching 80% possession astatine antithetic points successful the crippled -- but Morocco defended good and, peculiarly successful the archetypal half, made the astir of their chances to interruption quickly.

En-Nesyri's header conscionable earlier half-time was helped by a mistake from Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa, who came for a transverse helium got obscurity near, but Morocco were truthful assured connected the shot erstwhile they had it, they afloat deserved their pb erstwhile it came.

Morocco ended the crippled without 3 of their accustomed backmost 4 connected the pitch, but caput to the semifinals having conceded conscionable 1 extremity successful their 5 games, and adjacent that was an ain extremity against Canada.

Expect much ferocious defending against either France oregon England successful the semifinals but, aft beating Spain and Portugal, Morocco volition beryllium sensing different shock.

2. Yahya Attiat-Allah typifies Moroccan spirit

It was a large stroke to Morocco that they had to sanction a squad without West Ham centre-back Nayef Aguerd and Bayern Munich full-back Noussair Mazraoui aft some went disconnected with injuries against Spain.

In spot of Mazraoui, manager Walid Regragui picked left-back Yahya Attiat-Allah, a 27-year-old who has spent astir of his vocation successful Morocco but for a abbreviated spell successful Greece. On insubstantial it felt similar a large downgrade but that wasn't the case.

Attiat-Allah, winning conscionable his eighth cap, pushed Diogo Dalot -- who had assists from right-back against South Korea and Switzerland -- and got guardant himself, crossing the shot for En-Nesyri to people conscionable earlier half-time. Attiat-Allah past astir made it 2-0 soon afterwards pursuing a lung-bursting tally from the borderline of his ain punishment country to get connected the extremity of a accelerated counter-attack.

With Dalot and Bruno Fernandes, Portugal's close broadside has been a spot during the World Cup and not lone did Attiat-Allah cancel retired the threat, helium besides created 1 of his own. If Mazraoui is acceptable for the semifinal, it mightiness springiness Regragui a enactment headache, albeit 1 he's nary uncertainty blessed to have.

3. Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo blunted

Portugal began the lucifer having averaged 3 goals a crippled successful Qatar but contempt having the bulk of the shot against Morocco, they couldn't marque it count. Eight antithetic players person scored for Fernando Santos' squad astatine the World Cup and it was the incorrect infinitesimal for astir each of them to person an disconnected day.

Fernandes deed the crossbar, portion Joao Felix and Goncalo Ramos some had bully chances, but the slick attacking swagger that had torn Switzerland to pieces was missing. Bernardo Silva was sloppy connected the shot and Fernandes was often crowded out; Dalot was a menace from right-back against South Korea and Switzerland but lone occasionally recovered the country to get guardant here.

Portugal person been some bully and atrocious astatine this tourney and this was a atrocious day, though Morocco merit large recognition for making it truthful hard to make thing of note.

Cristiano Ronaldo, again named connected the bench, came connected aboriginal successful the 2nd fractional to equal FIFA's authoritative grounds for the most-capped planetary men's subordinate with 196, but adjacent helium couldn't find 1 past large World Cup moment. If this is the past we spot of 1 of history's large players connected this signifier past it was a precise meek mode to bow out.

Portugal had the players to scope a archetypal semifinal since 2006, but not the performance.

Player ratings (1 = worst, 10 = best)

Portugal: Diogo Costa 3, Diogo Dalot 5, Raphael Guerreiro 4, Pepe 6, Ruben Dias 6, Ruben Neves 4, Otavio 5, Bernardo Silva 6, Bruno Fernandes 6, Joao Felix 6, Goncalo Ramos 5.

Subs: Joao Cancelo 6, Cristiano Ronaldo 6, Rafael Leao 6, Vitinha 6, Ricardo Horta 6.

Morocco: Yassine Bounou 7, Achraf Hakimi 7, Yahia Attiyat-Allah 8, Romain Saiss 7, Jawad El Yamiq 7, Sofyan Amrabat 8, Azzedine Ounahi 7, Selim Amallah 7, Hakim Ziyech 7, Sofiane Boufal 7, Youssef En Nesyri 7.

Subs: Achraf Dari 7, Walid Cheddira 6, Badr Benoun 7, Yahya Jabrane 6, Zakaria Aboukhlal 6.

Best and worst performers

BEST: Yahia Attiyat Allah

Came into the squad for the injured Mazraoui and was outstanding astatine left-back, making the extremity for En-Nesyri.

WORST: Diogo Costa

The Portugal goalkeeper made an atrocious mistake to acquisition Morocco their goal.

Highlights and notable moments

Youssef En-Nesyri scored a celebrated extremity for Morocco successful the archetypal half.

MOROCCO TAKES THE LEAD VS PORTUGAL 🔥🇲🇦 pic.twitter.com/X9qbiJeCBP

Ronaldo's absorption aft Morocco's extremity 😅 pic.twitter.com/8fg4pyWp4W

And Cristiano Ronaldo could bash thing astir it.,

Cristiano Ronaldo was successful tears arsenic helium walked down the passageway aft Portugal's loss. pic.twitter.com/FS6C7WMxbd

After the match: What the players and managers said

Postmatch quotes volition look here...

Key stats (provided by ESPN Stats & Information)

- Entering the match, Morocco were connected a nine-match unbeaten streak successful each competitions: the second-longest among teams inactive successful the World Cup. Croatia, 11 (6-0-5, W-L-D); Morocco 9 (6-0-3); England, 5 (3-0-2.)

- En-Nesyri's extremity was the 2nd headed extremity ever scored by Morocco successful World Cup history. The different was besides by En Nesyri, successful the 2018 World Cup vs Spain.

- Cristiano Ronaldo equalled FIFA's authoritative men's all-time quality grounds with Kuwait's Bader Al-Mutawa connected 196. Though, according to RSSSF, Soh Chin Ann (Malaysia) holds the all-time men's grounds with 219.

- Morocco's Sofyan Amrabat has won possession 41 times astatine the 2022 World Cup -- the astir of immoderate subordinate successful the tournament.

- Morocco had 27% possession successful the crippled but go the archetypal African broadside into the World Cup semifinals.

- Portugal are 1-7-0 (W-L-D) erstwhile trailing astatine half-time astatine the World Cup. Their lone triumph came vs. North Korea successful 1966 (5-3.)

- Morocco's pre-tournament likelihood to marque the semifinal were 35-1 astatine Caesars Sportsbook That was tied for 7th longest likelihood successful the field.

Up next

Morocco: Incredibly, a World Cup semifinal against England oregon France is adjacent connected the docket astatine the Al Bayt Stadium connected Dec. 14 astatine 10 p.m. section clip / 2 p.m. ET.

Portugal: Cristiano Ronaldo and his broadside are retired and connected the level home.