Lionel Messi, Luka Modric
Lionel Messi and Argentina will kick off the semifinals against Croatia today at the Lusail Stadium; 2 p.m. ET.
Bookmakers have tagged it as a “Messiodric” semifinal clash.
The 2022 World Cup semifinals are here. After a thrilling round of 16 and quarterfinals, we’re into the business end of the tournament with four teams remaining.
There’s plenty of star power, great matchups and top players who all have their eyes set on hoisting the trophy on December 18.
The action begins today with Croatia and Argentina kicking off, then defending champions France take on underdogs Morocco tomorrow.
Have they met recently?
This is their third meeting at a World Cup, but first in the knockouts. Argentina won the first meeting 1-0 in 1998’s group stage, with Croatia winning 3-0 in 2018.
Argentina are -150 to advance from the semifinal, while Croatia are +450.
Why Croatia will reach the final
Coach Zlatko Dalic spoke a lot in the aftermath of Croatia’s quarterfinal victory over Brazil on penalties about their “fighting spirit,” and even though it’s not something you can quantify with statistics or data, it will be the one thing that worries Argentina most.
Why Argentina will reach the final
Maybe it’s nothing more, or less, than fate. This is almost certainly Lionel Messi’s last shot at winning a World Cup, and he has dragged Argentina to this stage by his brilliance and force of personality. He isn’t the player he was in his prime, with that electric burst of pace, but at 35, he has shown he is still capable of making the crucial difference.