On Friday, the quarterfinal matchup between Brazil vs Croatia at the FIFA World Cup 2022 will take place (9 December).
Only five times in the history of the competition have these two footballing nations faced off against one another.
Brazil advanced to the round of eight with a commanding 4-1 victory over the Republic of Korea, leading by four goals at the half.
As Tite’s team ran riot for the opening 45 minutes, Vinicius Jr, Neymar, Richarlison, and Lucas Paqueta all registered goals. With 15 seconds left, Paik Seung-ho managed to bring one back, but it was too late for the Koreans.
After their round-of-16 match with Japan ended in a tight 1-1 draw after 90 minutes, Croatia entered the last-eight match having played an additional 30 minutes. Dominik Livakovi, who made three saves, was the game’s hero as the runners-up from 2018 prevailed on penalties.
Who has won the four previous encounters between Croatia and Brazil? Read on to learn the actual record of the two teams in head-to-head competition.
Croatia v Brazil 2022: Who won the last time these two faced each other?
The two teams’ most recent meeting took place in a friendly four years ago as they both prepared for the World Cup in Russia.
Brazil later lost in the quarterfinals, and Croatia advanced all the way to the championship game before losing to France.
However, in that June friendly, it was the South Americans who showed signs of being prepared for action by convincingly defeating their opponents 2-0.
Tite’s team had 63 percent of the possession and nearly twice as many passes as the opposition on the night, and they were in complete control, but it wouldn’t be until the 70th minute that they broke through.
Neymar, who took over for Fernandinho at halftime to give them greater presence moving forward, would be the one to bring it about.
In stoppage time, Roberto Firmino, who was not chosen for the tournament in Qatar, put the game away with a spectacular chip over the goalie to make it 2-0.
Dejan Lovren is the only player from that game to have started for Croatia in their round-of-16 match against Japan on Monday. The Croatian team now has a new back five (5 December). Joko Gvardiol, 20, is his new teammate at the back and is currently enjoying a great tournament.
Luka Modric, a dependable midfielder for his country, will take the pitch with them on Friday while donning the captain’s armband (9 December).
The Brazilians have made significant roster changes over the past four years, and their firepower up top is unmatched. Along with Neymar, they have access to Vinicius Jr., Raphinha, and Richarlison, not to mention the wealth of quality on the bench.
Who will win between a new-look attack and a new-look defense?
Croatia v Brazil 2022: Brazil hold the upper hand over 4 meetings
Avoid looking, Croatians!
Their chances of winning the forthcoming quarterfinal are not good given their head-to-head record; Brazil has the advantage going into the last eight.
The South Americans have prevailed in three of the four games played between the two, with a 2005 friendly finishing in a tie.
Their first victory came in this competition in 2006, and their second came in the 2014 tournament’s first game.
In order for Croatia to get to the World Cup 2022 semifinals, they would have to defeat Brazil in an unprecedented first-ever victory.
Can they succeed, or will the strength of their opponents in the quarterfinals be too much for them?
Croatia v Brazil at the World Cup
2006: Croatia 0-1 Brazil
2014: Croatia 1–3 Brazil
Croatia v Brazil 2022: Schedule and time
At the Education City Stadium in Ar Rayyan, Qatar, Croatia and Brazil will square off in the quarterfinals.
On December 9, at 6 p.m. local time, the game will begin. That is 4 p.m. CET.
