World Cup | A second chance to reach the final for Modric and Messi

(Doha) Two Ballons d’Or on a mission, two selections driven by mad hope, an exceptional atmosphere expected at the Lusail stadium: the semi-final between Lionel Messi’s Argentina and Luka Modric’s Croatia on Tuesday has everything to be one of the summits of the 2022 World Cup.

In the left corner, Messi and the Albiceleste. Two World Cups on the clock (1978, 1986) but none for the Paris Saint-Germain striker who, on his fifth attempt, hopes to do better than the 2014 final and join Diego Maradona in the pantheon of Argentine and world soccer.

Opposite, Modric, Ballon d’Or 2018, and the team in the checkered jersey. A dream midfielder, the best of the competition, and the possibility of reaching a second World Cup final in a row, an incredible feat for a country of less than four million inhabitants.

At 37 for Modric and 35 for Messi, the two N.10s still amazed in Qatar and have already probably won their place in the tournament’s standard team. But they are looking for something else, of course, during this World Cup which will probably be their last.

valiant soldiers

For Messi, it is a question of crowning with a planetary title an incredible career during which the sevenfold Ballon d’Or has won everything, individually and collectively, except the World Cup.

The captain of the Albiceleste, already four times scorer in Qatar and regularly dazzling, is accompanied in his quest by the formidable supporters of Argentina, these noisy “hinchas” who will still be around 40,000 on Tuesday at the Lusail stadium, including Argentina has made its new home. She will play her fourth game there since the start of the tournament on Tuesday and intends to return there on Sunday for the final.

Messi is also escorted by a team of valiant soldiers, some of whom are very far from having half of his talent but are fearless, as they showed in a terribly tense quarter-final against in the Netherlands (2-2 ap, 4-3 pens).

Rodrigo De Paul, Cristian Romero, Julian Alvarez or Angel Di Maria, whose coach Lionel Scaloni hopes for a 100% return, are still more than just bodyguards for the star and Argentina have arguments, even if she has yet to master a match from A to Z since the start of the tournament.

“We must continue on this path, continuing to progress and gain confidence. We said the Copa America [gagnée en 2021, NDLR] was the start of something important and we are on this path, ”said striker Lautaro Martinez after the quarter-final, struggling with success but who did not tremble when he converted the decisive shot on goal. against the Oranges.

“Wrestling”

The Croats also had to go through it to create one of the sensations of the World Cup in the previous round by eliminating Brazil on penalties after returning to 1-1 at the very end of extra time.

When it came time to draw up the tables of World Cup favourites, many have no doubt forgotten about Croatia en route. But Modric and his team are indeed defending vice-champions and their tournament was once again a model of mastery and science of the game, around the majestic trio of its midfielder Modric-Brozovic-Kovacic and a goalkeeper, Dominik Livakovic, who is playing the tournament of a lifetime.

“One of the reasons for our success is precisely that we are a small country, a very small country. We know how our country was built, how it gained independence. By fighting, because you have nothing in life if you don’t,” Bruno Petkovic explained on Sunday.

The Croatian striker’s bumpy career through a string of second-tier Italian clubs before returning to Dinamo Zagreb, his training club, is indeed a model of perseverance.

And on Friday, it was he who scored against Brazil and made Neymar cry. Messi and Argentina are warned, the Croats are not afraid of anything or anyone either.