The first FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 semi-final features two teams that advanced to the final four via penalty shootouts, with Croatia defeating Brazil and Argentina defeating the Netherlands.
The teams have historically been evenly matched, both in terms of overall matches (two wins each and one draw) and at the FIFA World Cup (one group-stage victory each). Argentina won 1-0 in 1998, while Croatia defeated Lionel Messi and co. 3-0 in 2018, with Luka Modri among the scorers. The two countries have not met since that game in Nizhny Novgorod.
Whereas Croatia lost their first FIFA World Cup semi-final, 2-1 to France in 1998, and won the second, 2-1 after extra time against England in 2018, Argentina have emerged victorious from all four of their previous semi-finals – against the USA in 1930 (6-1), Belgium in 1986 (2-0), Italy in 1990 (1-1, 4-3 on penalties) and the Netherlands in 2014 (0-0, 4-2 on penalties).