OneFootball
Padraig Whelan·6 December 2022
OneFootball
Padraig Whelan·6 December 2022
The latest matchday of World Cup action saw the final two teams secure their places in the quarter-final.
This is how it looked.
Morocco may have had Sofyan Ambrabat on the field but in the stands, it was a different kind of Batman cheering them on.
As for the player, he put in one of the best individual performances of the tournament so far in the heart of the action.
In the penalty shootout after a scoreless stalemate, Spain failed to convert any of their kicks – Sergio Busquets being the third and final victim.
Some Morocco fans could only watch on small screens as their side aimed to make history.
And they did so via a sublime Panenka penalty from Madrid-born defender Achraf Hakimi.
That sparked scenes of wild celebration as the country booked their place in the quarter final for the first time ever.
And coach Walid Regragui made history too after becoming the first African coach to steer a side into this stage of the competition.
In Portugal’s clash with Switzerland, Cristiano Ronaldo found himself dropped for his country in a competitive figure for the first time in 14 years – and the clamour to snap his photo on the bench was staggering.
Needless to say, he didn’t look happy about it.
Perhaps even less so when his replacement Gonçalo Ramos opened the scoring with an outrageous finish from a tough angle.
Pepe then became the oldest scorer of a World Cup knockout goal with a thumping header.
And in the second half, Ramos claimed the first hat-trick of this year’s tournament – on his first ever international start!
Rafael Leão put the seal on things with perhaps the finest goal of the six in Portugal’s big win. They look incredible without their captain.