[Sports] Mondial-2022: Messi against Modric, semi-final of legends and Ballons d'Or

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The semi-final between Argentina and Croatia in Qatar will give rise to a duel between two legends who are playing in their last World Cup: Luka Modric and Lionel Messi.

Duel at the top. Like a tale from One Thousand and One Nights, Argentina-Croatia opposes, Tuesday, December 13, two football geniuses, Lionel Messi and Luka Modric, eager to go to the end of their unfinished history with the World Cup during a first half -final of the Mondial-2022 which has everything to become legendary.

At the Lusail stadium, it will not be Messi's 1001st night  , but the 1002nd match  of his immense career (790 goals), crowned with all possible trophies... except the planetary title.

 

The seven-time Ballon d'Or, finalist in 2014, will find on his way to Qatar another legend of this game, himself Ballon d'Or (in 2018) and himself a finalist, four years ago: Modric.

A very tough game
For the sesame of Sunday's final to open in front of one, the other will necessarily have to go by the wayside. Which will come out of the lamp? Which will get to face either France or Morocco, opposed Wednesday in the other semi-final?

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"It's going to be a very tough game," Messi said. "Croatia have proven to be very good (...) and we have seen that, if we let them play, they have very good players who know how to take the ball, especially in midfield".

Argentina is playing at home under the gilded Lusail stadium, where it is playing its fourth match, carried by its thousands of supporters, and where it hopes to return on Sunday for the final (4:00 p.m.). But to achieve this, Messi, N.10 of the Albiceleste, must dominate Modric, N.10 of the Vatreni.

Messi "has always been a winner and a proud man," coach Lionel Scaloni said on Monday. "As for Modric, it's a pleasure to see him play. (...) When you love football, you are happy to see these players on the pitch."

Revenge on his detractors
Between these two giants who culminate at 1.70 m, there have been many hot meetings over the course of their respective careers, in particular the FC Barcelona-Real Madrid clasicos when the Argentine striker from Paris SG still wore the blaugrana jersey. . In the World Cup, in their only confrontation, Croatia had largely beaten Argentina in the group stage in 2018 (3-0).

Link: https://www.france24.com/fr/info-en-continu/20221213-mondial-messi-contre-modric-demi-finale-de-légendes