All the excitement of the group-stages and the first round of the knock-out stages is behind us, as there is just eight teams left in the World Cup.
The quarter-finals will see two heavyweight clashes between England and France and Holland and Argentina while one of the favourites Brazil will take on Croatia.
Morocco will be aiming to pull off yet another shock upset against Portugal after beating Spain in the last-16 of the major tournament in Qatar. Sportsmail’s Chris Sutton has provided his verdict ahead of the 2022 World Cup quarter-finals.
The World Cup quarter-finals are here with 2018 winners France (pictured) taking on England
Holland will also face one of the favourites Argentina in another last eight heavyweight clash
CROATIA
Best player: Luka Modric. Won two Man of the Match awards against Belgium and Morocco. Maybe MOTM is unreliable as evidence of good performances, given they’re public votes AKA popularity contests, but every player in that Croatia team looks up to the timeless Modric. At 37, he’s still ‘got it’ as a midfield maestro.
Best performance: The 4-1 win over Canada. At the 2018 World Cup, Croatia had Mario Mandzukic to score their goals, including the extra-time winner against England in the semi-finals. That lack of a reliable goalscorer was a worry heading into 2022. But Andrej Kramaric helped himself to two goals in a performance of control against Canada.
Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric is the stand-out performer for Croatia at the World Cup
My one concern: That Canada win aside, Croatia have struggled to score, drawing blanks against Morocco and Belgium. Ivan Perisic’s header was good against Japan and they got over the line with goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic turning into their hero. They desperately need someone to step up against Brazil next.
World Cup rating: 7 out of 10. Zlatko Dalic’s Croatia haven’t blown us away but they’ve reached the quarter-finals regardless.
GROUP – 0-0 draw with Morocco
GROUP – 4-1 win over Canada
GROUP – 0-0 draw with Belgium
LAST 16 – 1-1 draw with Japan (Croatia win 3-1 on penalties)
Croatia have struggled to score in Qatar, but have still managed to find a way into the last eight
BRAZIL
Best player: Richarlison. Neymar is the obvious big name, the national hero, the Brazilian beaut. But Richarlison has made this World Cup more about him. So much so that he’s been having his own mini Goal of the Tournament competition. He’s made himself undroppable for Brazil.
Best performance: The 4-1 win over South Korea. Vinicius Junior and Co laughed at their opponents’ low block. This was the performance where Brazil flexed their muscles in a first half of Samba superiority. The dancing celebrations got a zero from Roy Keane but somewhere, Anton Du Beke was reaching under his desk for a ten.
Richarlison is the stand-out performer for Brazil, although Neymar remains the nation’s hero
My one concern: Neymar’s fitness. The sheer panic after those pictures of his ballooned ankle showed how much Brazil depend on their 30-year-old icon. We want to see the best players at this World Cup so it’s good that he’s back. But Brazil are praying he stays fit.
World Cup rating: 7.5 out of 10. That South Korea win was a glimpse of what this Brazilian group can do when in full flow.
GROUP – 2-0 win over Serbia
GROUP – 1-0 win over Switzerland
GROUP – 1-0 loss to Cameroon
LAST 16 – 4-1 win over South Korea
Neymar and Vinicius Jr (pictured) will be key players for Brazil as they continue to dominate
HOLLAND
Best player: Frankie de Jong. The 25-year-old midfielder has been the Dutchman who’s impressed me most. He’s classy when he on the ball and exerts control. Watching him, you could almost hear Bullseye host Jim Bowen telling Manchester United: ‘Let’s have a look at what you could’ve won.’
Best performance: The 3-1 win over the USA. There were 20 uninterrupted passes in the build-up to Memphis Depay’s goal as the Netherlands countered and were clinical. Louis van Gaal’s game plan worked to perfection. People thought this last-16 tie would be tighter, myself included. But the Dutch were largely dominant.
Frenkie de Jong has been the most impressive player for the Netherlands in the tournament
My one concern: Of all the quarter-finalists, the Netherlands are the only ones using three at the back. I do worry about their brand of football against stronger sides. The Dutch don’t always dominate possession – they had 41 per cent against the USA – and you wonder how they’ll cope the deeper they go into this World Cup.
World Cup rating: 6 out of 10. The Netherlands were in a relatively easy group and got out as expected. Now for the tougher tests.
GROUP – 2-0 win over Senegal
GROUP – 1-1 draw with Ecuador
GROUP – 2-0 win over Qatar
LAST 16 – 3-1 win over the USA
ARGENTINA
Best player: Lionel Messi. Still popping up with those all-important strikes, like that fine free-kick in a must win against Mexico, and the trademark finish when the heat was on against Australia. Others have impressed, like 21-year-old Enzo Fernandez, but we cannot look beyond Messi as Argentina’s main man at this World Cup.
Best performance: The 2-0 win over Poland. Ever since that embarrassing Saudi Arabia loss, Argentina knew they couldn’t afford any further slip-ups. They beat Mexico and then exerted total control over Poland in this final group game. They won by two, but it could’ve been six at the 974 Stadium.
Lionel Messi is still popping up with important goals for Argentina at the World Cup in Qatar
My one concern: Argentina’s midfield hasn’t been overly convincing at this World Cup. Fernandez has done well since coming into the middle for their last two games against Poland and Australia. But do they have the creativity, the cleverness, the guile that’s needed to go all the way?
World Cup rating: 6 out of 10. Argentina were one of the World Cup’s favourites. After a tricky start, they’ve started to find their feet.
GROUP – 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia
GROUP – 2-0 win over Mexico
GROUP – 2-0 win over Poland
LAST 16 – 2-1 win over Australia
ENGLAND
Best player: Jude Bellingham. At the start of this World Cup, I named Bellingham as the player I was most looking forward to watching. He’s justified my choice and then some. The 19-year-old midfielder has been England’s best player – the driving force in the middle of the park.
Best performance: It would be easier to pick the worst performance! That award would go to the 0-0 draw with the USA. As for the best, we could say the 6-2 win over Iran, or the 3-0 beating of Wales. But the 3-0 victory over Senegal was our toughest test and we won convincingly.
Jude Bellingham (left) has been England’s best player and the driving force in the midfield
My one concern: I still have the same concerns that I had at the start of there tournament and that’s in central defence. Harry Maguire has had a good World Cup given his lack of game time for Manchester United but now he will be properly tested by Olivier Giroud and Co.
World Cup rating: 7 out of 10. We’re English, which means we’re naturally pessimistic, but it’s gone as good as can be expected. Now for France.
GROUP – 6-2 win over Iran
GROUP – 0-0 draw with the USA
GROUP – 3-0 win over Wales
LAST 16 – 3-0 win over Senegal
FRANCE
Best player: Kylian Mbappe. Who else? It isn’t as simple as stopping Mbappe means you stop France. I wouldn’t be so disrespectful to their other threats. But Mbappe is like the older kid on the playground, toying with his opponents. This may be Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s final World Cups. The stage is set for Mbappe to take over.
Best performance: The 3-1 win over Poland. Olivier Giroud became France’s all-time leading men’s goalscorer as they cruised into the quarter-finals and Mbappe chipped in with two goals of his own, finding each top corner. With the pressure on in a knockout tie, that performance emphasised why the French are the team to beat.
Kylian Mbappe has been the star of the tournament, let alone the star man for France so far
My one concern: France haven’t kept a clean sheet at this World Cup and though they’re a team packed with talented players, I’m still not convinced by Hugo Lloris in goal. Another concern is, out of possession, Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele aren’t the hardest workers when it comes to tracking back.
World Cup rating: 7 out of 10. I think there is more to come from France, who I tipped to win this World Cup last month.
GROUP – 4-1 win over Australia
GROUP – 2-1 win over Denmark
GROUP – 1-0 loss to Tunisia
LAST 16 – 3-1 win over Poland
MOROCCO
Best player: Romain Saiss. Morocco have conceded only one goal at this World Cup and that was a Nayef Aguerd own goal. They’re supremely organised and Saiss has been a defensive leader. He played on with a pulled hamstring against Spain in his desperation to see out the clean sheet.
Best performance: We could nominate the 2-0 win over Belgium, one of the shocks of this World Cup. But that 0-0 with Spain was still their best performance. The Spaniards managed only one shot on target for their 1,000-plus passes. Kudos to Morocco manager Walid Regragui, whose game plan has taken this team to the quarter-finals.
Morocco have only conceded one goal and Romain Saiss has been the leader in defence
My one concern: What happens when Morocco go behind? They haven’t trailed at this World Cup. The Canada goal came when they were already leading 2-0.. Morocco’s approach – to defend deep and counter – has worked well thus far. But if Portugal take the lead in their next game, what then?
World Cup rating: 9 out of 10. Morocco have totally exceeded expectations and they don’t want the story to end just yet.
GROUP – 0-0 draw with Croatia
GROUP – 2-0 win over Belgium
GROUP – 2-1 win over Canada
LAST 16 – 0-0 draw with Spain (Morocco win 3-0 on penalties)
Morocco celebrate after sealing a shock penalty shoot-out victory over Spain in the last-16
PORTUGAL
Best player: Bruno Fernandes. Manchester United’s midfielder has put in consistent performances off the right wing. He’s been directly involved in five goals – scoring two and assisting three – and that’s the most by a Portuguese player in a World Cup since Eusebio and Jose Torres in 1966.
Best performance: The 6-1 win over Switzerland. I’m probably not the only one who thought this last-16 tie would be tight. It was anything but. Portugal blew Switzerland away with Cristiano Ronaldo’s replacement, Goncalo Ramos, bagging that hat-trick. Sorry, Ronaldo, you’ll have to make do as a ‘super sub’ from now on methinks.
Bruno Fernandes has put in consistent performances just off the right wing for Portugal
My one concern: Ronaldo’s sulking. What impact will that have on team spirit? We’ve all seen that picture of the photographers surrounding Portugal’s substitute during the national anthem. Like it or not, it’s all about him, regardless of whether he’s playing or not. It’s a distraction that could be detrimental to Portugal.
World Cup rating: 7 out of 10. Portugal got out of their group easily enough and that Switzerland win was a statement.
GROUP – 3-2 win over Ghana
GROUP – 2-0 win over Uruguay
GROUP – 2-1 loss to South Korea
LAST 16 – 6-1 win over Switzerland
The concern is whether Cristiano Ronaldo (pictured) will have an impact on their team spirit
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