World Cup Qatar 2022 Group F: Teams, Standings, And Matches

World Cup Qatar 2022 Group F: Teams, Standings, and matches for Belgium, Croatia, Canada, and Morocco in Qatar

Morocco and Croatia have reached the knockout phase of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

Group F of the 2022 FIFA World Cup took place from 23 November to 1 December 2022. The group consisted of Belgium, Canada, Morocco and Croatia. The top two teams, Morocco and Croatia, advanced to the round of 16.

Standings

Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers

In the round of 16:

• The winners of Group F, Morocco, advanced to play the runners-up of Group E.
• The runners-up of Group F, Croatia, advanced to play the winners of Group E.

Matches

Morocco 0-0 Croatia

The two teams had faced each other once in a 1996 friendly match, which ended 2–2.

Belgium 1-0 Canada

The two teams had faced each other once in 1989 in a friendly game, with Belgium winning 2–0.

Near the end of the first half, Michy Batshuayi scored the only goal of the match following a long-range pass upfield from defender Toby Alderweireld. Despite dominating the match and having 19 attempts on goal, including a penalty kick saved by Thibaut Courtois, Canada was not able to score.

Belgium 0-2 Morocco

The teams had met in three matches including once in the World Cup, in Belgium’s 1–0 group stage victory in 1994. In the 73rd minute Romain Saïss put Morocco into the lead when he glanced the ball in at close range after a free-kick wide out on the left from Abdelhamid Sabiri deceived Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois at the near post. Zakaria Aboukhlal made it 2-0 in added time when he finished high to the right corner of the net after a cut-back from Hakim Ziyech on the right.

The Belgian defeat sparked riots back in Belgium, with residents fires and fireworks being set off.

Croatia 4-1 Canada

The two teams had never met before. Alphonso Davies scored Canada’s first-ever World Cup goal with a header in the 2nd minute to give Canada the lead. Goals by Marko Livaja, Lovro Majer and two by Andrej Kramaric for Croatia completed a 4–1 victory.

Croatia 0-0 Belgium

The two teams have faced each other eight times, most recently in 2021, a 1–0 win for Belgium in a friendly game.

Belgium were unable to capitalize in their match against Croatia in a 0–0 draw, which led to their Group Stage exit.

Canada 1-2 Morocco

The two teams have faced each other three times, most recently in 2016, a friendly game Morocco won 4–0.

Canada concluded the Group Stage with three defeats, having failed to earn a single point after Qatar in Group A, with Canada earning all six losses in both World Cups, their second-worst performance overall. Nayef Aguerd became the first player to score an own goal in the World Cup.

WORLD CUP GROUPS:
Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D
Group E | Group F | Group G | Group H

World Cup Group F standings

Q = Qualified to Round of 16

E = Eliminated

Group F match schedule

The four teams selected into the group are playing a round-robin format with each nation facing the other three. Group standings are based on points from those three group-stage matches — three points for a win, one for a draw, none for a loss.

The top two teams from each group based on total points advance to the single-game knockouts. If teams are tied on points, goal difference is the first tiebreaker followed by goals scored. If teams are also tied in those categories another set of tiebreakers is applied.

World Cup Group F teams

Belgium

Belgium can no longer claim to be the No.1 ranked team in the world, having been recently replaced at the top of the FIFA standings by Brazil, but they can still call upon some key members of their golden generation and will be expected to go far in Qatar.

However, coach Roberto Martinez must hope that this will finally be the occasion when the Red Devils live up to the pre-tournament expectation and can finally lift some silverware. With players of the standard of Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne and Inter’s Romelu Lukaku, they could take some stopping.

Belgium went out in the quarterfinals at Euro 2020 and were beaten in the semis at the 2018 World Cup. They have a good chance of going far again on this occasion, but they will have to show greater composure in difficult moments.

• Current FIFA world ranking: 2 (November 2022)
• Regional ranking: 1st (UEFA)
• World Cup titles: — (0)
• World Cup appearances (last): 13 (Russia 2018)
• How qualified: UEFA Group E winners: 6W-0L-2D
• Coach: Roberto Martinez (Spain) since August 2016
• Key players: Kevin De Bryune (Manchester City / England), Romelu Lukaku (Inter / Italy), Eden Hazard (Real Madrid / Spain)

Croatia

Croatia surprised many people by reaching the final of the 2018 World Cup, where they lost to France, but they didn’t fare quite so well at Euro 2020, as they were eliminated at the Round of 16 stage.

Despite his advancing years, Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric remains a superb player and the talisman. The 37-year-old will be determined to impress at what is likely to be his final World Cup.

Croatia stormed through qualifying and lost just once — the opening fixture in Slovenia — but despite being hopeful of getting out of the group stage, it is difficult to envisage Zlatko Dalic’s side having another lengthy run in the competition.

• Current FIFA world ranking: 12 (November 2022)
• Regional ranking: 10th (UEFA)
• World Cup titles:—
• World Cup appearances (last): 5 (Russia 2018)
• How qualified: UEFA Group H winners: 7W-1L-2D
• Coach: Zlatko Dalic (Croatia) since October, 2017
• Key players: Luka Modric (Real Madrid / Spain), Ivan Perisic (Tottenham / England), Domagoj Vida (AEK Athens / Greece)

Morocco

Morocco are regarded as one of the strongest teams on the African continent and will boast plenty of star power at Qatar 2022, competing at the finals for the sixth time.

Much will rest on the shoulders of Paris Saint-Germain full-back Achraf Hakimi, but he will be ably supported by the likes of Sofaine Boufal — who has Premier League experience, having formerly played with Southampton — and offers their most potent goal threat.

Morocco progressed to the quarterfinals of the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year before being knocked out by eventual finalists Egypt and could be a potential surprise challenger to make it into the latter stages.

• Current FIFA world ranking: 22 (November 2022)
• Regional ranking: 2nd (CAF)
• World Cup titles:—
• World Cup appearances (last): 5 (Russia 2018)
• How qualified: (CAF Third Round winner: (agg 5-2 vs. DR Congo)
• Coach: Vahid Halilhodzic (Bosnia) since August 2019
• Key players: Sofaine Boufal (Angers / France), Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain / France), Romain Saiss (Besiktas / Turkey)

Canada

Canada will be participating in the World Cup for the first time in 36 years following an impressive qualification campaign that led all the way to the winners’ spot in the CONCACAF standings.

There were emotional scenes from both players and fans as they closed out the spot in Qatar by beating Jamaica 4-0 in Toronto, in late March, with talisman Alphonso Davies breaking down in tears live on his Twitch stream as he watched his teammates complete the job.

Davies’ absence for that match was due to him suffering with myocarditis — inflammation of the heart — after catching COVID-19, and Canada will need the Bayern Munich winger firing on all cylinders to have hopes of advancing. Coach John Herdman will be out to make his own piece of history, as he becomes the first person to lead a team at both the women’s and men’s World Cup.

• Current FIFA world ranking: 41 (November 2022)
• Regional ranking: 4th (CONCACAF)
• World Cup titles:—
• World Cup appearances (last): 1 (Mexico, 1986)
• How qualified: (CONCACAF winners: 8W-2L-4D)
• Coach: John Herdman (England) since January 2018
• Key players: Jonathan Osorio (Toronto FC / Canada), Junior Hoilett (Reading / England), Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich / Germany)

World Cup Group F odds and predictions

Here are the odds for each team to win and qualify from the group, with odds provided by Sports Interaction (as of November 2022).

Minus odds is what must be wagered to win $100 on that specific bet, while plus odds represent the winnings from a successful $100 wager.

The first-place and second-place finishers in Group F will move on to the Round of 16 and will face off against the two teams to advance from Group E on Monday, Dec. 5, and Tuesday, Dec. 6.

The official FIFA 2022 World Cup match schedule outlines the following knockout pairings for the Round of 16 through to the final:

World Cup Round of 16

World Cup Quarterfinals

World Cup Semifinals

World Cup 3rd Place

World Cup Final