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Argentina-Croatia: last chances for Messi and Modric
Favorite against Croatia on Tuesday (8:00 p.m.) at the Lusail stadium, Argentina has its essential hero: Lionel Messiwho will join the legendary Lothar Matthäus as the player who has played the most matches in the World Cup (25).
Messi, who probably plays his last World Cup at 35, is only two wins away from the only title he lacks. With his fabulous assist and his converted penalty, he was still the key to qualifying in the last four at the expense of the Netherlands (2-2 after, 4-3 on pens).
Certainly the other Argentinian genius Diego Maradona won the Grail almost single-handedly in 1986, but the seven-time Ballon d’Or, who found the net four times in the tournament, is entitled to expect the support of the his.
The young striker Julian Alvarez (22) can improve on his tally of two goals in the competition. The Guardian Emiliano Martinez (30), who stopped two Dutch shots, also demonstrated his qualities.
At 37, the Croatian captain Luke Modric is also probably playing his last World Cup, even if he leaves some doubt about the date of his international retirement. Here he is facing the historic – and unexpected – opportunity to qualify the country of less than 4 million inhabitants for its second consecutive World Cup final, after the defeat against France (4-2) in 2018.
Next to Marcelo Brozóvic (30 years old) and matthew kovacic (28 years old), Modric is the manager of the “best midfielder in the world”, according to coach Zlatko Dalic, executioner of the Brazilian favorite in the quarters (1-1 ap, 4-2 tab).
Behind, it is the young guard who shines, with the central defender If Guardiol20 years old and 17 selections but already the insurance of the big ones, and the goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic (27), selected in Russia but left on the bench, unfazed on penalties against Japan in the eighth then Neymar and his teammates.
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France-Morocco: Mbappé and Giroud to pass the Bounou wall
Facing Morocco on Wednesday (8:00 p.m.) at the Al-Bayt stadium, the French champions will also have the historic opportunity to qualify for a second consecutive World Cup final.
As with each of their matches, all eyes will be on the prodigy Kylian Mbappe. At 23, the Parisian already has nine World Cup goals to his name, including five in Qatar (which makes him the top scorer in the World Cup), and 33 for the France team.
At his side, the experienced Olivier Giroud, 36 years old and a national record of 53 goals in selection, is just as essential. The one who had not been able to convert any opportunity in 2018 is this time at four goals, tied with the Argentinian Lionel Messi.
Against England in the quarter-finals (2-1), it was Giroud who delivered his own with a header, rather than a Mbappé whose first start without scoring in the tournament. In the midfield, Adrien Rabiot (27 years old) and Antoine Griezmann (31) also radiate.
First African nation to reach the last four and surprise guest of these semi-finals, Morocco has as its main assets its side Achrafi Hakimi (24 years old), Mbappé’s best friend at Paris SG, where he has been playing since 2021, and his goalkeeper Yassine Bounou (31 years old), who has conceded only one goal in the competition … and again, counter- his side, in the 2-1 victory over Canada in the group stage!
But, beyond them, it is a whole collective that stands out, from the center-forward of Sevilla FC Youssef En-Nesyri (25), top scorer for the Atlas Lions with two goals (including the goal in the 1-0 victory against Portugal in the quarter-finals), in the midfield hard to hurt Sofyan Amrabat (26 ans).
A key element, returned to grace in selection since the appointment of Walid Regragui, could however be sorely lacking at the Atlas Lions: the Chelsea striker, Judge Ziyech, 29, physically diminished and released at the end of the match against Portugal. Injured in a thigh, the defender and captain Romain Saïssmay also not be in the game.