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We simulated the 2022 World Cup knockout stages – and football actually came home
We simulated the 2022 World Cup knockout stages - and football actually came home,The 2022 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals are set to begin on Friday, December 9, so we simulated the last few rounds of the tournament to see what could happen

We simulated the 2022 World Cup knockout stages – and football actually came home

Following the conclusion of an epic Round of 16, the 2022 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals will get underway on Friday.

There have already been some historic results in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, with one of the biggest shocks so far being Spain's elimination at the hands of Morocco in the Round of 16. Their penalty shootout exit adds to an already impressive collection of unexpected results from this tournament, with Saudi Arabia's win over Argentina and Japan's victory over Germany in the group stages some of the standouts.

But, the quarter-final stage is where the real tension begins, with each game treated like the final itself. England face a tough test against defending champions France, Argentina and Netherlands go head to head in a battle of titans, strong favourites Brazil face 2018 finalists Croatia and dark horses Morocco take on an in-form Portugal side.

READ MORE: UFC star Paddy Pimblett explains why he has snubbed England and World Cup 2022 in Qatar

So, what could happen in the 2022 World Cup quarter-finals, and who could go on to win the competition? We simulated the 2022 FIFA World Cup knockout stages on Football Manager 2023 to find out!

2022 FIFA World Cup Knockout Stages 'simulated'

To create this simulation, we used Football Manager 2023, updating the squads with the correct rosters. We then simulated all the knockout stages of the competition, and this is what happened.

Who do you think will win the 2022 FIFA World Cup? Let us know in the comments section below!

Quarter-finals:

The results from the World Cup quarter-finals
The results from the World Cup quarter-finals (Image: Football Manager 2023)
  • Brazil 1-0 Croatia (AET)
  • Netherlands 3-4 Argentina (AET)
  • Portugal 4-2 Morocco
  • England 1-0 France

The standout clash in the quarter-finals was between the Netherlands and Argentina, with Lionel Messi's dream staying alive after a dramatic 4-3 win in extra time. Both sides went down to 10 men in 90 minutes, but it was Lautaro Martinez's extra-time strike that helped his side to the next round.

England were impressive defensively once again as the Three Lions booked their spot in the semis with a 1-0 win over defending champions France. Bukayo Saka scored the only goal of the game in a narrow victory for Gareth Southgate's side.

Morocco took a shock 2-0 lead against Portugal in their quarter-final match-up, but the European side proved too powerful, scoring four to come from behind and win the game. Brazil just about scraped through to the quarter-finals against Croatia, with Fabinho scoring in the 119th minute of the game to secure a 1-0 win.

Semi-finals:

The results from the World Cup semi-finals
The results from the World Cup semi-finals (Image: Football Manager 2023)
  • Argentina 2-3 Brazil (AET)
  • England 2-1 Portugal (AET)

The semi-finals produced two thrilling games, with both clashes won in extra time. Rafael Leao's equaliser cancelled out Phil Foden's opener to send the England vs Portugal game to extra time, and the Three Lions secured their spot in the final in dramatic style, with Jack Grealish scoring two minutes into added time of extra time to make it 2-1.

In the other semi-final tie, Brazil left it late to book their spot in the World Cup final, beating Argentina 3-2 after extra time. A 94th-minute penalty saw Neymar make it 2-2 to take the game all the way to 120 minutes, and Raphinha scored just three minutes into added time to win the game for Brazil.

Final: England 1-0 Brazil

England won the 2022 FIFA World Cup on FM23
England won the 2022 FIFA World Cup on FM23 (Image: Football Manager 2023)

Like most World Cup finals, the clash between England and Brazil was very close, with both sides creating limited chances. Brazil were reduced to 10 men after 65 minutes when substitute Bruno Guimaraes was sent off, and in the 86th minute, Harry Kane scored the goal to win England the 2022 World Cup.

Jude Bellingham and his England team-mates could finally bring the World Cup back home!

Overall, FM23 predicts that England could win just their second World Cup trophy in their history, with Harry Kane's late strike the only goal in a 1-0 win over Brazil in the final. The Three Lions conceded just one goal in the knockout stages, keeping clean sheets against Brazil and France as they won their first World Cup since 1966.

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