Croatia clinch bronze, Morocco win hearts in World Cup playoff

Croatia beat Morocco 2-1 in the third-place playoff of the World Cup as Mislav Orsic scored the winner with a brilliant bending strike.

Fans of Croatia filled the stadium with cheers as the team bagged its second third-place finish at the World Cup with Saturday's match.

For Morocco, on the other hand, the game was bittersweet.

While the Atlas Lions lost the game, they won hearts and minds as the first Arab and African team to make it to the top four in football’s biggest sporting event.

READ MORE: Ten football World Cup firsts that Qatar 2022 made possible

A frantic start at the Khalifa International Stadium saw Croatia take the lead in just the 7th minute through a diving header from defender Josko Gvardiol that capped off a cleverly worked free-kick routine.

It took Morocco all of two minutes to level matters with a headed goal of their own from defender Achraf Dari.

Mislav Orsic sealed the team's victory minutes before the break, curling in a majestic strike from the left side of the box.

READ MORE: Ten football World Cup firsts that Qatar 2022 made possible

Both sides had several attempts in the second period, but Orsic’s stunner proved to be the game’s winning goal.

This was Croatia’s second third-place finish at the World Cup, repeating their feat from 1998, and follows a remarkable 2018 campaign that saw them finish as runners-up to France.

READ MORE: FIFA announces plans for 32-team Club World Cup