Ronaldo then somewhat saved the day when he added, “Of course, I’m a football romantic, so whoever the world champion is, I admit it.”
In Tuesday’s semi-final, Argentina will play Croatia, who knocked out the Brazilians, and the winner’s opponent in the final will be revealed on Wednesday after the duel between defending champions France and Qatar’s surprise tournament side Morocco .
Lionel Messi beérheti Lothar Matthäust
As for Messi, the semi-final against the Croatians could be the classic 35-year-old’s 1,002nd career match, as well as his 25th encounter in his fifth World Cup, in which he can overtake Lothar Matthäus, who topped the table . Considering that the final or the bronze medal still awaits the Argentines in Qatar, Messi can leapfrog the previous Ballon d’Or of the Germans.
As a seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, Messi is one of the best footballers of all time, but he’s had no luck at the World Cup so far, the closest he’s gone was in 2014, when he won a silver medal with the ‘Argentina. In the eyes of many, only a win would allow him to follow in the footsteps of his great predecessor, Diego Maradona, who passed away two years ago, who led Argentina to a gold medal in Mexico in 1986.
FIFA World Cup, Qatar, semi-final schedule:
Tuesday 13 December, 8.00 pm: Argentina-Croatia
Wednesday 14 December, 8pm: France-Morocco
Here you will find everything you need about the World Cup in Qatar worth knowing: https://magyarnemzet.hu/futball-vb-2022
Cover photo: Lionel Messi fights for victory in his last World Cup in Qatar (Photo: MTI/EPA/Rungrodzs Jongrit)
