Which World Cup games are taking place today? The December 9 schedule originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Soccer fans… it’s time to start planning your watch parties. We have officially reached the Quarterfinals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
So far it’s been a wild ride with unexpected upsets, like Saudi Arabia beating Lionel Messi and Argentina in the group stage, or Morocco beating Spain with impressive penalties from the round of 16. Not to mention some insane victories like Portugal’s 6-1 win over Switzerland in the round of 16 and the Netherlands’ win over Christian Pulisic and the USA in the round of 16.
If you missed out on some of the action, although it would be a shame, don’t worry – we still have four quarter-finals, two semi-finals, a third-place match and of course – the 2022 World Cup finals.
So here’s the two-game table to watch out for on Friday as four nations battle it out for a place in the semis:
Quarterfinals: Croatia vs. Brazil
Croatia started their 2022 World Cup journey in Group F alongside Morocco, Canada and Belgium. In the group stage, Croatia’s World Cup opener ended with a 0-0 draw against Morocco, followed by a 4-1 win over Canada and another 0-0 draw, this time against Belgium. In the round of 16, the team drew 1-1 with Japan and then won on penalties.
Will it be able to continue the winning streak against Brazil? It’s difficult to say.
Brazil have also performed well so far, despite key player Neymar missing two games through injury. Brazil started their journey in Group G alongside Serbia, Switzerland and Cameroon – beating Serbia 2-0, beating Switzerland 1-0 and losing 1-0 to Cameroon. Yes, you read it right. But Brazil looked for redemption as they clinched a 4-1 win over South Korea in the knockout stages that sent them to the quarter-finals against Croatia.
Will Brazil continue on their way to the semis as everyone expects, or will Croatia surprise?
Kick-off time is 10am ET, 7am PT.
This is how you watch Croatia vs Brazil in the World Cup Quarterfinals
Quarterfinals: Netherlands vs. Argentina
Next up is the quarterfinal match between the Netherlands and Argentina. The Netherlands started their World Cup journey in Group A alongside hosts Qatar, Ecuador and Senegal. Their first clash ended in a 2-0 win over Senegal, followed by a 1-1 draw with Ecuador and a 2-0 win over Qatar. In the round of 16, the Netherlands won an exciting 3-1 win against the USA, now the country meets Lionel Messi and Co.
On the other hand, Argentina has had an interesting World Cup trajectory so far – to say the least. The top favorites lost their World Cup opener to Saudi Arabia, which made for a shaky start. As the group progressed, the Group C team beat Mexico and Poland 2-0. The Albicelestes threw the Socceroos (Australia) out of the last 16 after a narrow 2-1 win and now it’s time for Messi to face Andries Noppert between the posts.
Kick-off time for this matchup is 2:00 p.m. ET, 11:00 a.m. PT.
Here’s how to watch the Netherlands vs Argentina in the World Cup Quarterfinals