Main Event
“Messi can be the star of this summer,” said Peter Drury in 2006 when the 18-year-old Argentine skipped inside Croatian Stjepan Tomas before curling a beautiful shot inside the far post from the edge of the area Messi’s first international goal came in his sixth appearance, in one of those meaningless mid-season friendlies staged in a neutral country (literally Switzerland in this case), and we know the rest of the story. He didn’t become the star of the summer so much as the star of the century (so far).
But that snowy March night in Basel was also notable for another reason, one that wasn’t captured by the highlight reel. On his international debut, Dinamo Zagreb player Luka Modric held his own against Esteban Cambiasso and Juan Román Riquelme in midfield, helping Croatia to a 3-2 victory. The boy seemed a little special.
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Fast forward 12 years, to the 2018 World Cup and Croatia-Argentina in the group stage. Messi’s legacy has long been assured, but it’s this year that Modric rises from mere “world class” to the ethereal bracket at the top. The summer began with a third consecutive Champions League title, and ended with a runner-up medal at the World Cup, with the Ballon d’Or to follow. Argentina were thrashed 3-0, with Modric running the show and slotting a 25-yarder past Willy Caballero for good measure. If Modric wasn’t the best midfielder in the world when 2018 started, he was by the end. That remains true even now, aged 37, and alongside Mateo Kovacic and Marcelo Brozovic, Modric leads a formidable trio in Tuesday’s semi-final. “Mateo, Luka and Marcelo are the best Croatian midfield ever,” Croatian defender Borna Sosa said this week. “I don’t think it can be repeated. When you pass the ball to them it’s safer than having your money in the bank.”
All this to illustrate a point you already knew – that Modric is very good at football – and perhaps an idea you did not know: that Croatia is supporting itself to reach the World Cup final. Never mind the bookies’ odds or the Messi GOAT narrative, this is not an underdog story. They are one of the best international teams in the world. The focus could be on how Croatia will stop Argentina’s number 10. Perhaps it would be wiser to focus on how the Albiceleste will stop Modric and co. MBu
Talking points
Lions of Atlas on treble mission Morocco take on former colonial rulers France heading into an intrigue-laden semi-final on Wednesday. The North Africans have already knocked out their two former colonizers, Spain and Portugal, in previous rounds to complete a hat-trick of revenge. France occupied parts of Morocco until 1956 and tensions continue in 2022 with a dispute over visa restrictions. However, the French language and culture still strongly influence Moroccan society. Two of the World Cup squad, Romain Saïss and Sofiane Boufal, were born in France, as was coach Walid Regragui, who describes the country as his second home. A complex relationship, but if Morocco can get a first win against France, expect wild celebrations from Rabat to Paris. AR
Morocco 🇲🇦 toppled 3 colonial European nations in 10 days.
Belgium 🇧🇪Spain 🇪🇸 Portugal 🇵🇹
If they beat France 🇫🇷, they will win something bigger than the World Cup; the hearts of formerly colonized people everywhere.
— Khaled Beydoun (@KhaledBeydoun) December 11, 2022
England have reason to cheer after the dust settles. There was very little of the traditional English gloom as Gareth Southgate’s side lost to France. They played well and the majority on the pitch will be even better in four years. Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka will be 26 and 24 respectively when the next World Cup arrives. Jude Bellingham will be legally allowed to buy alcohol in all potential host states in America, and he will celebrate his 23rd birthday during the tournament. There’s a lot to be positive about when a team’s best players are years away from their prime. Others will have to be replaced in the meantime, probably after the European Championship in 2024, to start a new international cycle for England. The fact that England’s most exciting players have their best years ahead of them will make a call-up a more attractive prospect for newcomers, knowing they are joining a squad with world-class talent, something that could not always be to say of an English selection. . WU
England’s trip to Qatar started under a cloud when the team stopped wearing the OneLove rainbow armband after Fifa threatened sporting sanctions on the morning of their opening game. As the team returns home, Joe Lycett has hit out at the Football Association, accusing the English governing body of “pretending to be allies of the LGBT community” until it became an inconvenience.
The comedian told Times Radio, in quotes published by PA Media, that he had “a few talks” with the English governing body after announcing a stunt in which he threatened to destroy £10,000 of his own money unless he David Beckham pulled out of his own deal. with the hosts of the World Cup. Lycett called Beckham “a perfect kind of emblem” in the way that “a lot of brands and institutions try to be allies until it’s uncomfortable.”
David Beckham feels the wrath of Joe Lycett. Photo: Channel 4
“I would actually add the FA to that group,” Lycett said. “I had a few conversations with the FA and I was directed to their statement about the OneLove armband and how proud they were of the whole thing. We know where we’ve come with this, don’t we?” Representatives for Beckham and the FA have been contacted for comment by PA. NMc
Global media surveillance
No media can ignore an omen of entering a World Cup semi-final, and the Argentine press is no different. Olé is a little worried that, to avoid a clash of colors with Croatia’s shirts, Emiliano Martínez “will not wear all green and not wear the historic red shirt in which he became a hero against Louis van Gaal”. However, the sports newspaper notes: “Dibu [Martínez’s nickname] he wore green in the decisive matches against Mexico and Poland, two duels in which the Scaloneta beat their respective rivals by 2-0″.
The Buenos Aires Times says Argentina have been helped by “hordes of traveling fans who have turned each of their matches in Qatar into virtual home games”. He says: “This passion is evoked in two songs that have regularly resonated in stadiums in Qatar: ‘Vamos Argentina’ and ‘Muchachos'”, a de facto national anthem of the national team that references Messi, Diego Maradona and the Falklands of 1982. /War of the Falklands between Argentina and Great Britain. “Argentina is a complex, politically fractured country. There are few subjects that unite the country, but the Falklands and the football team do”, says Edgardo Esteban, director of the Falklands Museum in Buenos Aires.
Argentina fans pay tribute to their heroes during their quarter-final win over the Netherlands. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
Clarín talks about local firefighters in Esquina, the hometown of Diego Maradona’s mother, who heard Argentina advance against the Netherlands while actively fighting a fire. One of them, 27-year-old Roberto Cardozo, told the press: “When we arrived in the field, the owners were waiting for us and we went in to fight the fire. When I refilled the water, my girlfriend sent me a WhatsApp message notifying me of Argentina’s first goal. I let my teammates know that we were winning. We even filmed the moment when Messi scored the penalty to make it 2-0 because we already had the situation under control.” Lionel Scaloni’s men hope to have Croatia under control at the Lusail on Tuesday night. MB
The Internet reacts
Check this out for a costume. An outstanding (and slightly terrifying?) effort that doesn’t get any easier to process the longer you watch it, like a CGI Pelé straight out of a video game. Unbelievable
today’s game
Argentina v Croatia (Semi-final, 19:00 GMT, ITV1) After knocking out a South American giant in the quarter-finals, it’s groundhog day for crafty Croatia as they aim to upset Argentina. Both teams arrived with grueling penalty shootouts in the round of 16, as a result of which Argentina are without suspended full-backs Gonzalo Montiel and Marcos Acuña. Ángel Di María is fit, however, and may return to the starting XI to take some of the creative burden off Lionel Messi’s shoulders. Croatia have been edged out three times in this World Cup (1-0 against Brazil, 1-0 against Japan, while they could have made it to the group stage if Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku had donned his shooting boots Qatar). However, the 2018 finalists are top contenders, winning just four shootouts in the last two World Cup tournaments. Argentina are advised not to settle for penalties no matter how tight they are. AR
Player to watch
Josko Gvardiol With his face mask and bushy black beard that most 20-year-olds could only dream of growing, the Croatia centre-back in every action looks like a super villain. Apt, because it is…