Under pressure following their shock 2-1 group-stage defeat to Saudi Arabia, Argentina have battled their way through to the last four for the sixth time in their history, with Messi and penalty-saving goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez at the fore.
Argentina
Argentina’s quarter-final win over the Netherlands team highlighted their best and worst qualities. After some Lionel Messi sorcery put them 2-0 ahead, the match descended into an ill-tempered affair before they held their nerve to win on penalties. Under pressure following their shock 2-1 group-stage defeat to Saudi Arabia, they’ve battled their way through to the last four for the sixth time in their history, with Messi and penalty-saving goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez at the fore. When Argentina get this far, they usually continue as they’ve never failed to reach the final after having reached the last four. As reigning Copa America champions, they’re a hardened knockout competitors.
After one defeat across their last 41 matches, they’re just a game away from a sixth World Cup final – and likely Messi’s final chance at winning football’s biggest national trophy – and will have the added bonus of being roared on by thousands of passionate Argentine fans in Lusail.
Croatia
Runners-up four years ago, Croatia broke Brazilian hearts by beating the South Americans on penalties after a 1-1 draw to reach their third World Cup semi-final, proving again they are also masters of going the distance. They’ve won five of their last six World Cup knockout games after extra time, four of them via a penalty shootout, meaning they possess a perfect World Cup penalty shootout record. “We are experienced, and we are raised as fighters,” was how coach Zlatko Dalic explained Croatia’s ability to keep on digging deep against Brazil. “Only Croats can do that,” he added, although Argentina will have something to say about that as they look to avenge Croatia’s 3-0 group-stage H2H win four years ago that levelled up the overall H2H stakes.
Two of their generation’s finest competitors, Argentina’s Messi and Croatia’s Luka Modric, will look to dictate play. Modrić may have just one assist in this tournament, but his influence is enormous, and he was instrumental in helping his club side, Real Madrid, beat Messi’s PSG in the Champions League knockouts the last term. Croatia are yet to score first during this tournament. Robert Prosinečki is the only player to score in the World Cup for two different countries – Yugoslavia in 1990 and Croatia in 1998.