December 10, 2022 coverage of the World Cup

Morocco will try to keep its underdog run alive against a Portugal team that is taking on a different shape in the waning years of superstar Cristiano Ronaldo's career.

The two teams clash in a quarterfinal at Al Thumama Stadium at 10 a.m. ET. Here's what to watch for from each squad:

Morocco

Morocco has been a revelation this tournament, defending valiantly and attacking with verve. The team is more than deserving of its place in the quarterfinals.

In Achraf Hakimi, who scored an audacious "Panenka" to win the penalty shootout against Spain, Morocco boasts a bonafide superstar. The Paris Saint-Germain fullback’s boundless energy down the right flank is the Atlas Lions’ greatest attacking threat.

Chelsea winger Hakim Ziyech provides Morocco’s creative spark, while Fioretina’s Sofyan Amrabat has undoubtedly been one of the best midfielders so far in this World Cup.

Head coach Walid Regragui has instilled belief and organization into his team. Morocco will justifiably feel confident it can beat Portgual and become the first African team in history to reach a World Cup semifinal.

Portugal

A loss in its final group game against South Korea raised questions about Portugal’s ability to progress far into this year’s World Cup, but its demolition of Switzerland in the last 16 answered them with aplomb. Fernando Santos’ side looked unstoppable with 21-year-old striker Gonçalo Ramos bursting onto the world stage with a brilliant hat-trick.

The youngster was replacing Cristiano Ronaldo, who was dropped to the bench for the Sweden match and remains there to start today's match. Portugal certainly didn’t miss the superstar striker on Tuesday, but fans will be watching closely for any signs of strife Saturday — and whether he eventually makes it onto the pitch.

More and more, this team is defined by the considerable abilities of younger stars, including defenders Rúben Dias and João Cancelo, and midfielder Bernardo Silva.

Here are the starting lineups for each squad when Portugal takes on Morocco in a quarterfinal clash at 10 a.m. ET.

Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo is once again starting on the bench, a remarkable development in this tournament for one of the game's most recognizable stars.

Portugal

Goalkeeper: Diogo Costa

Defenders: Pepe, Diogo Dalot, Rúben Dias, Raphaël Guerreiro

Midfielders: Bernardo Silva, Rúben Neves, Otávio

Forwards: Bruno Fernandes, Gonçalo Ramos, João Félix

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Morocco

Goalkeeper: Bono

Defenders: Achraf Hakimi, Jawad El Yamiq, Romain Saïss, Yahia Attiyat Allah

Midfielders: Azzedine Ounahi, Sofyan Amrabat, Selim Amallah

Forwards: Hakim Ziyech, Sofiane Boufal, Youssef En-Nesyri

The death of prominent journalist Grant Wahl at the World Cup in Qatar has led to an outpouring of shock and grief across the sports world, with NBA star LeBron James and tennis great Billie Jean King leading the tributes to the American.

Wahl died after collapsing while covering Friday’s Argentina-Netherlands match. The exact cause of his death is not yet known.

King said Wahl’s death was “heartbreaking.”

On Friday in Philadelphia, basketball star James said he had been “very fond of Grant.” While Wahl was at Sports Illustrated, he did a cover story on James when the basketball icon was in high school.

“I’ve always kind of watched from a distance, even when I moved up in ranks and became a professional, and he went to a different sport,” said James, speaking at a postgame press conference. “Any time his name would come up I’ll always think back to me as a teenager and having Grant in our building. … It’s a tragic loss.”

Tyler Adams, the captain of the US Men’s National Soccer Team, sent his “deepest sympathy” to Wahl’s wife, Celine Gounder, and to those who knew him.

“Only some days ago, Grant was recognized by FIFA and AIPS (the International Sports Press Association) for his contribution to reporting on eight consecutive FIFA World Cups,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino in a statement.

The co-editors in chief of Sports Illustrated, the publication where Wahl spent the majority of his career, said in a joint statement they were “shocked and devastated at the news of Grant’s passing.”

“We were proud to call him a colleague and friend for two decades – no writer in the history of (Sports Illustrated) has been more passionate about the sport he loved and the stories he wanted to tell,” said the statement.

Other current and former US soccer players, including Ali Krieger and Tony Meola, shared their condolences, as did sporting bodies such as Major League Soccer and the National Women’s Soccer League.

Prominent American journalist Grant Wahl has died in Qatar after collapsing while covering the World Cup, sparking an outpouring of shock and grief across the sports world.

He collapsed while covering Friday’s Argentina-Netherlands match, a witness told CNN.

Qatar’s World Cup organizers said on Saturday that Wahl "fell ill” in the press area, where he received “immediate medical treatment on site.” He was then transferred to Hamad General Hospital, said a spokesperson for the Supreme Court Committee for Delivery and Legacy, the body responsible for planning the tournament.

He was treated in the stadium “for about 20-25 minutes” before he was moved to the hospital, Keir Radnedge, a columnist at World Soccer Magazine, told CNN Saturday.

“This was towards the end of extra time in the match. Suddenly, colleagues up to my left started shouting for medical assistance. Obviously, someone had collapsed. Because the chairs are freestanding, people were able to move the chairs, so it’s possible to create a little bit of space around him,” Radnedge said.

He added that the medical team were there “pretty quickly and were able to, as best they could, give treatment.”

The exact cause of his death is not yet known.

Cristiano Ronaldo will start on the bench for Portugal's World Cup quarterfinals match against Morocco on Saturday.

Ronaldo was dropped from the starting lineup on Tuesday as Portugal went on to defeat Switzerland 6-1 in the Round of 16.

Earlier this week, the Portuguese Football Federation denied reports that Ronaldo — long his nation's talisman and one of the most recognizable athletes in the world — had threatened to leave the World Cup squad after being named as a substitute against Switzerland.

The Portuguese sports publication Record reported that the striker had previously threatened to leave the squad following a conversation with manager Fernando Santos. But the FPF later clarified in a statement "that at no time did the captain of the national team, Cristiano Ronaldo, threaten to leave the national team during the stay in Qatar."

Ronaldo also indicated on social media that he was committed to the team.

Fans will closely watch when, or if, Ronaldo sees the pitch Saturday. More and more, his team has come to be defined by the considerable abilities of younger stars, including defenders Rúben Dias and João Cancelo, and midfielder Bernardo Silva.

Either Portugal or Morocco will face the winner of Saturday's France versus England game in the semifinals on Wednesday.

The Portuguese Football Federation on Thursday denied that star forward Cristiano Ronaldo had threatened to leave the World Cup squad after being named as a substitute against Switzerland earlier this week.

The Portuguese sports publication Record reported that the striker had previously threatened to leave the squad following a conversation with manager Fernando Santos. But the FPF later clarified in a statement "that at no time did the captain of the national team, Cristiano Ronaldo, threaten to leave the national team during the stay in Qatar."

Ronaldo also took to social media just hours after the FPF statement to reaffirm his commitment to the team, saying: “A group too united to be broken by external forces. A nation too brave to be afraid of any adversary. A team in the true sense of the word, who will fight for the dream to the end! Believe with us!”

It’s still not clear exactly why Ronaldo was dropped to the bench, but his performances of late have been well below the lofty standards he has set for himself throughout his career.

Read more.

FIFA on Thursday confirmed the death of a migrant worker at the resort used by Saudi Arabia during the group stages at the World Cup in Qatar.

It’s unclear what the worker was doing or the circumstances surrounding the person’s death.

A Qatari government official confirmed to CNN that the incident was being investigated by authorities.

Read more.

The hopes of Argentina and Lionel Messi winning the World Cup remain very much alive after a nerve-shredding penalty shootout victory over the Netherlands Friday.

Trailing 2-0 with just eight minutes remaining – thanks to goals from Nahuel Molina and Lionel Messi – the Netherlands staged a stunning comeback. A Wout Weghorst’s brace ensured the game went to extra time.

With neither side able to find the winner in those extra 30 minutes, the match was decided on penalties. Argentina goalkeeper Damián Emiliano Martínez made himself the hero for La Albiceleste, saving two Dutch spot kicks.

Martinez has made a name for himself as an expert in penalty shootouts, saving three in Argentina’s Copa America semifinal against Colombia last year. He further cemented his place as an Argentine hero in Qatar.

After Enzo Fernández missed the first penalty that would have given Argentina victory, Lautaro Martínez stepped up and hammered home the winning kick. It sent the Argentine fans, who made up the vast majority at Lusail Stadium, into delirium.

It was a rowdy face-off:

Spanish referee Mateu Lahoz, known for his eccentricity and enjoyment of the limelight, certainly added to the drama. He dished out numerous yellow cards, including one in the shootout, as he struggled to keep control of the game.

There were no less than three brawls throughout the 120 minutes and penalties, the first one sparked by Leandro Paredes smashing a ball straight into the Netherlands dugout at the side of the pitch.

This match will undoubtedly go down as an all-time World Cup classic, but Argentina will quickly need to bring itself down back to earth ahead of a semifinal against knockout specialist Croatia.

Brazil, the favorite to win this year’s World Cup, is out of Qatar 2022 after losing to Croatia on penalties 1-1 (4-2) in Friday’s dramatic quarterfinal.

It looked as though Neymar had won it for Brazil after he scored a stunning solo goal in extra time – tying Pele’s international scoring record for the Seleção with his 77th goal – but Bruno Petković broke Brazilian hearts with a last-gasp equalizer to send the game to penalties.

It was Croatia’s goalkeeper Dominik Livaković who was the hero yet again in the shootout, saving Rodrygo’s first effort before defender Marquinhos saw his attempt hit the post, which sent Croatia through to the semifinals.

Livaković had also saved three penalties in his side’s victory against Japan in the previous round.

It was a dizzying end to another remarkable game in Qatar, which took until extra time to really get going.

The game was largely reduced to scrappy half chances and resolute defending to keep the scores level in the second half.

Raining on Neymar's parade:

With extra time underway, Neymar produced arguably the moment of the tournament so far. The star attacker dropped deep to pick up the ball and split the Croatian defense with two bounce passes with teammates. He then fired his effort into the roof of the net.

The goal sparked frenzied celebration inside the Education City Stadium, with Neymar close to tears after seemingly inspiring his side into the semifinals.

But football can be cruel and Croatia never gave up.

In the 116th minute, Petković stunned Brazil by sweeping home the equalizer and forcing the game into penalties with his side’s first shot on target.

Despite being captain and his team’s star player, Neymar did not take a penalty with Croatia – which has now won four World Cup shootouts – scoring all of its efforts before Brazil could even take its fifth.

Croatia, the beaten finalists in 2018, will now face Argentina for a place in the World Cup final.