The World Cup semi-final between Argentina and Croatia will also be a duel between Lionel Messi and Luka Modric. The two old masters once again show all their skills in Qatar, especially for Messi it is also about revenge.
There is a video on Youtube entitled: “The day Lionel Messi and Luka Modric met for the first time”. There you can see a ten-minute summary of a friendly between Argentina and Croatia in preparation for the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
Modric, then 20 years old, played his first international match alongside Niko Kovac in central midfield. Messi, then just of age, scored his first international goal in his sixth cap. The exceptional talent from FC Barcelona pulled in from the right and flicked the ball with the inside into the bottom left corner. In Germany we call it a classic.
Messi and Modric have won (almost) everything
All of this is now more than 16 years ago. Modric now has 160 international matches under his belt, has become a world footballer and has won the Champions League five times. Messi has made 170 appearances for his national team and won the Ballon d’Or seven times. There are also four premier class titles, ten championships and 22 top scorer cannons.
Next Tuesday (December 13, 2022) there will be a duel of the giants in the World Cup semifinals. Croatia demands Argentina. Modric demands Messi. A touch of Clásico.
Because even if Messi is now in Paris St Germain plays, the clashes between the two with Real Madrid and FC Barcelona are particularly memorable. Modric and Messi met a total of 22 times in the Clásico, the Madrilenians won nine times, Barca eight times, and the mutual competition grew steadily.
Modric shoots against Messi
“Of course Messi is one of the best players in the history of football but I will never play with him”Modric already stated in 2018 in the “L’Equipe” clear. “I play against him, not with him.”
A few weeks later, the Croatian complained that Messi (along with Cristiano Ronaldo) Ballon d’Or-Awards skipped and he had to accept the award in the absence of the duo. “It’s not fair for colleagues. It seems that such awards are only of any value if they win themselves.”
So the two alpha animals are not really green. A soccer field like that is simply too small for two world soccer players at once. There can only be one. And that’s what it’s all about on Tuesday at the Lusail Iconic Stadium.
Modric leads Croatia to the semifinals
Modric and Messi are also among the defining figures at this World Cup, which will probably be their last appearance on the big stage. Modric is both the brain and soul of the Croatian team. With his footballing class, he steers the sporting skills, but he is even stronger in the mental area. The fact that Croatia have never led 1-0 before, but are still in the semi-finals, is mainly thanks to Modric.
Best example: After Neymar’s goal in extra time in the quarter-finals against Brazil, the Croatian team collapsed collectively and struggled with their fate. Modric stopped and urged his teammates once more. The equalizer and victory on penalties followed. “Modric was our brains, he made an incredible game”coach Zlatko Dalic cheered after the final whistle. “Even at 37, he’s one of the best players in the world.”
Messi in impressive form
The same can and must be said about Messi. In his fifth appearance at the World Cup, the 35-year-old will do everything to ensure that the long-awaited World Cup title is finally on his CV. Messi does take time off during games.
When it matters, he’s there. His pass to Nahuel Molina in the 1-0 win over the Netherlands in the quarter-finals deserves its own place in the World Cup museum. The fact that he has scored four goals and set up two more in five games speaks for itself. Messi wants to know.
Croatia won in 2018
As an extra motivation, Messi and Argentina still have scores to settle with Modric and Croatia. At the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the two teams met in the group stage, the game ended 3-0 for Croatia after goals from Ante Rebic, Ivan Rakitic and Modric. Argentina was only second in the group and therefore failed in the round of 16 at eventual world champions France.
There is also a YouTube video for this game. It’s called ‘The day Luka Modric destroyed Lionel Messi and Argentina’. The next chapter of this story, which began in 2006, will be written on Tuesday.