World Cup: How to watch the France-Morocco semifinal match

DOHA, Qatar — What began as a 32-team tournament three weeks ago has two teams remaining.

Argentina defeated Croatia 3-0 in the first semifinal match Tuesday to keep Lionel Messi’s quest for a World Cup title alive.

France, among the pre-tournament favorites to win the World Cup, will face a Morocco team focused on continuing its historic run when the teams meet Wednesday in the other semifinal.

Here’s everything you need to know to watch the World Cup semifinals, including start times, TV channels and streaming options:

Where: Al Bayt Stadium

Time: 11 a.m. PST Wednesday

TV: Fox, Telemundo, Peacock Premium

The buzz: What an intriguing matchup. The reigning champions in France against an upstart Morocco, the first Arab and African team to reach the World Cup semifinals.

The tournament’s top scorer, France’s Kylian Mbappe, against a Moroccan team that hasn’t allowed an opponent to score in five games. And finally France, a once ruthless colonizer, against Morocco, a country it once ruled. All the pressure is on France, which is playing in the semifinals for the sixth time in its last nine World Cups.

Morocco, meanwhile, just the third team outside Europe and South America to reach the final four of a World Cup, is playing with house money. It has already eliminated three top-10 teams in Belgium, Spain and Portugal — all former African colonizers — winning it overwhelming popular support in Africa and the Arab world.

“When you watch ‘Rocky’ you want to support Rocky Balboa,” Morocco coach Walid Regragui said. “We are now becoming the team that everyone loves because we are showing that even if you don’t have as much talent and money, you can succeed.”

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Regragui, who took over the team in August and is unbeaten in eight games, is right in saying Morocco is the world’s team: 14 of its 26 players were born outside Morocco, the highest percentage of any team in this tournament. But he’s wrong in saying the team is less talented. Twenty of its players are with major European clubs such as Chelsea, Paris St.-Germain, Bayern Munich and Sevilla, so France won’t overlook them.

“We have enough experience not fall into that trap,” French defender Raphael Varane said. “We know Morocco are not here by chance.”

Morocco plays a selfless defense-first style, content to cede possession while patiently waiting for opponents to make a mistake. But France doesn’t make many: It hasn’t allowed a goal from the run of play in 212 minutes.

In addition to Mbappe, who leads the tournament with five goals, Olivier Giroud entered the semifinals tied for second in the tournament in scoring with four goals.

Morocco has injury concerns with center back Nayef Aguerd, who missed the Portugal game with a muscle injury, and his partner Romain Saiss, who was substituted out in the 57th minute with a hamstring problem.

For France, midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni (undisclosed injury) and defender Dayot Upamecano (illness) missed a recent training session.