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Mondial: Two more free seats at the big table

Only Morocco, if it beats Spain on Tuesday in Doha (4:00 p.

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Mondial: Two more free seats at the big table

Only Morocco, if it beats Spain on Tuesday in Doha (4:00 p.m.), can now avoid a repetition of the scenarios of 2018 or 2006, when the quarter-finals had turned into a duel between Europe and South America.

There will therefore be at least four world champions (Brazil, France, England and Argentina), and two vice-champions (Netherlands and Croatia) in this club of aristocrats, where only Belgium and especially Germany, exited by Japan, one of the sensations of the group stages.

But for the fourth time, the Japanese have failed at this stage of the competition, taken out on penalties by Brazil's next opponents, the Croats (1-1), still as solid in this exercise.

This outcome was as cruel as in 2018 when, after leading 2-0, the Japanese cracked in stoppage time against the Belgians (3-2).

The Brazilians left much less suspense on the other hand, quietly ensuring their qualification against a South Korea overwhelmed in the first half (4-1).

- "The DNA of major competitions" -

The followers of the unexpected will push behind Morocco, both attractive in the game and solid in defense in the group stages.

With technical Sofiane Boufal and Hakim Ziyech on the wings, they have the means to counter the Spaniards. And in the middle, sentry in front of his defense, Sofyan Amrabat, in great shape, seems to be able to interfere with transmissions and disrupt Spain's passing game.

The Moroccans "will probably wait for us behind", warns striker Carlos Soler.

But coach Walid Regragui knows that his team is not leaving with the favors of the forecasts against a rejuvenated Spain but broken at the highest international level: "They have the DNA of the big competitions which we do not have, we It's been 36 years since we've played in the 1/8 final".

It was in 1986 in Mexico, against Germany, for a cruel defeat, conceded on a late goal from the inevitable Lothar Matthäus.

The other match of the day, Portugal-Switzerland (8:00 p.m.), is perhaps the most undecided. Convincing since the start of the World Cup, coming out of a strong group, very organized and with individuals capable of moments of brilliance like Breel Embolo or Xherdan Shaqiri, Switzerland is playing its fourth 1/8 final in five editions... 2006, 2014 and 2018, it failed to find quarter-finals visited only once, in 1954, in a World Cup which it had hosted, and in which only sixteen teams participated.

"Being in a position to write history is not what matters to us. We know our opponents and we have shown that we can beat them. Then maybe we can talk about history," said the coach Murat Yakin whose team beat Portugal 1-0 in the Nations League in June after suffering a rout in Lisbon (4-0).

- Ronaldo, a shaky pedestal -

History, Cristiano Ronaldo intends to write it, again and again. If he passes and plays in the quarters, this compulsive collector of records could add one to his long list, becoming the most selected player in the history of football, tied with the Kuwaiti Bader al-Mutawa (196).

But if he has just become the only player to score at five World Cups, his performances in the pools support the thesis that the inexorable twilight of "CR7" has begun. So much so that the Portuguese press questioned this week about his tenure, a debate unimaginable just a few months ago.

His coach, Fernando Santos readily admitted that the behavior of his player, furious after his team's defeat against South Korea, had "not pleased" him. In addition to the still distant prospect of winning the most beautiful of titles, the challenge for the five-time Ballon d'Or, European champion in 2016, is now whether or not to succeed in his exit with Portugal after the fiasco of his second stay in Manchester United.

While waiting, perhaps, to give in to the lucrative sirens of al-Nassr with whom, according to officials of the Saudi club, he has started negotiations.

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