Qatar: Argentina beat Netherlands in an incredibly dramatic quarter-final at the World Cup, with Lionel Messi and his teammates triumphing 4-3 on penalties after a mesmerising 2-2 draw in 120 minutes, while Croatia thrashed out Brazil from world cup 2022 after equalizing 1-1 with penalties going in their favour. Both Brazil and Netherlands are out and on their way home. Next Argentina will be playing Croatia in the semi-finals.

 

Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez saved penalties from Virgil van Dijk and Steven Berghuis before Lautaro Martinez scored the winning spot-kick to secure victory. In a scrappy half-hour of extra time with the scores level, Enzo Fernandez rattled the post in the closing seconds but the game only went to the extra 30 minutes after Wout Weghorst scored from a clever free-kick routine in the 11th minute of injury-time to make the score 2-2.

 

Weghorst had narrowed the deficit to 2-1 with an 83rd-minute goal after Argentina appeared to be heading through by racing into a 2-0 lead - Messi setting up Nahuel Molina for their first-half opener, threading a sublime pass through the Dutch defence, before coolly slotting in a penalty in the 73rd minute after Denzel Dumfries fouled Marcos Acuna. Argentina will now face Croatia, who beat Brazil on penalties earlier, on Tuesday for a place in the final.Brazil’s Neymar did not take a penalty in his nation's crucial shootout against Croatia. Tite's squad were favourites heading into the tournament but lost 4-2 on penalties after drawing 1-1 against Croatia after extra-time.

 

Neymar scored the opening goal of the match in the 106th minute before Bruno Petkovic equalised in the 117th minute to send the game to a penalty shootout. Rodrygo missed Brazil's first spot kick after Dominik Livakovic made another crucial penalty save before Marquinhos hit the post to send Croatia into the semi-finals. Brazil was left frustrated throughout the match as Livakovic denied a number of good chances before Neymar's goal in extra-time. The Paris Saint-Germain superstar did not step up to take a penalty as only Casemiro and Pedro scored for Tite's squad.

 

Neymar missed Brazil's final two Group G fixtures through injury before he returned to the starting lineup for their 4-1 win over South Korea in the last 16. The Brazilian winger had the pressure of an entire nation on his shoulders heading into the tournament which they looked favourites to win, but have been knocked out in a shock defeat to Croatia. Neymar is likely to have been the fifth penalty taker for Brazil but after Rodrygo and Marquinhos missed their spotkicks, the PSG star was not given the chance to take his. His Brazil teammates were seen consoling Neymar after the penalty shootout as Croatia players celebrated with their fans.

 

On the way are the quarter finals between Portugal and Morocco and between England and France with a tough face off for England and France to reach semi-finals.