…….Messi’s Argentina clinch their spot in 2022 World Cup final; Will France stop Argentina?
…….Is Messi winning the World Cup for Argentina?
By Burnett Munthali
Lionel Messi’s Argentina clinched their spot in the 2022 World Cup final after beating Croatia. They will meet the defending champions France, on Sunday 18 December 2022.
Read on as we bring you the latest from Qatar. Here’s what you might have missed from Tuesday’s World Cup happenings, and a look ahead to Sunday’s action.
Messi is closer to winning the one trophy that has eluded him his entire career, the World Cup. He is very close from lifting World Cup.
The Argentina captain is few hours away from winning the World Cup trophy and cementing his status as the greatest to ever play the game.
The one title that has eluded Messi, that sets him apart from so many of the greats who have come before him, is his for the taking on Sunday.
Early in the game against Croatia, it seemed he might have pulled his hamstring, but all doubts were put to the side when he orchestrated his country to glory, first with a penalty smashed high into the right corner and then with a dazzling, trademark run against one of the tournament’s best defenders, Josko Gvardiol, to set up Julian Alvarez for his second goal of the night.
And he broke records doing it: the oldest man to score five goals at a single World Cup and Argentina’s top scorer at the World Cup.
It’s Messi’s last dance, and we’re all lucky to witness it.
There will always be comparisons to Maradona, the magical left foot, the great footballer, the mazy runs. If Messi can win the World Cup, it will be difficult to argue with those comparisons.
Messi is delivering masterclass after masterclass in Qatar, while Argentina fans around the world celebrate being loser to glory.
Are you not entertained?
Looking back
Burley lauds history-making Morocco Craig Burley was full of praise for Morocco’s performance and resilience after they became the first African team to make it to a World Cup semifinal.
However, Morocco have failed to keep their dream alive, France has proven too much.
The North African nation surprised everyone after topping their group and then knocking Spain and Portugal out of the World Cup. Morocco’s coach, Walid Regragui, only joined in August and there was no pressure to excel in Qatar. Then, the World Cup dream was all that fans in the country and across the Arab world were hoping for. The only dream left for Morocco now is to fight for a third place against Croatia.
As the first African nation to reach the semifinals of the World Cup, Morocco’s Cinderella story showcased their talent, fighting spirit and grit. Azzedine Ounahi was integral to the midfield creativity. Sofyan Amrabat was the enforcer, shutting down any sniff the opposition might have had of attacking.
Before the game, Achraf Hakimi and Hakim Ziyech were two superstars who could unlock the game from the wings. Given Morocco’s run, France did well not to underestimate Regragui’s side.
Then there was also the support behind Morocco, making it essentially a “home tournament” for them. Thousands of Moroccans travelled to Doha for the semifinal, while fans from across the Middle East and Africa rooted them on.
However, that factor failed to push Morocco past the French.
France have been at the finals before, and won, in 2018.
They boast some of the best players in the world.
This is the team in the battlefield waiting to battle with Argentina in Sunday. The anxiety is high for the occasion.
