Luis Suarez praised his former teammate Lionel Messi after a magnificent performance against Croatia in the World Cup semi-finals, calling him ‘amazing.’
On Tuesday night, Messi gave Argentina the lead with a first-half penalty, but he really stole the show with a stunning move that saw him sprint into the penalty area past a bewildered Josko Gvardiol and set up Julian Alvarez for his team’s third goal.
The 3-0 victory guarantees that Lionel Scaloni’s team will play either France or Morocco in the final on Sunday.
Suarez, who played with Messi for six years at Barcelona and is rumored to be close to the player, was eager to acknowledge Messi’s accomplishments. “You Never get tired of showing that you are the best in the world”, Suarez said via his Instagram story.
“The whole world stops to applaud this guy and what he’s given to football. Incredible my friend!”
Messi surpassed Gabriel Batistuta as Argentina’s all-time leading scorer in World Cup tournaments by opening the scoring against Croatia. With 25 games played at the World Cup finals, he also tied German legend Lothar Matthaus’ record.
Despite the achievements he had made and the impending World Cup final, Messi appeared composed as he spoke to the media after the win over Croatia on Tuesday night.
“We were confident that this group was going to pull it off. We know what we are and we ask the people to believe in us”, Messi said.
“We have been through tough situations, other very good ones. Today, we are living something spectacular.”
After leaving Qatar, Luis Suarez, the 35-year-old won’t have another chance to win the World Cup, thus the tournament in Qatar is the pinnacle of Suarez’s spectacular career.
Messi, who has won the Ballon d’Or a record 7 times, will be widely regarded as the greatest footballer of all time if he repeats the feat of Diego Maradona, Argentina’s other national hero, and wins the competition.
Argentina easily beat Croatia 3-0 in the opening semifinal match of the 2022 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday at Qatar’s Lusail Stadium.
In place of Croatia, who will play against the loser of the France-Morocco match on Saturday, Argentina will now play either France or Morocco in the Sunday final.
During the semi-final clash between Argentina and Croatia, Lionel Messi stood in front of his admirers with his arms raised after he scored the opener. He immediately had the crowded columns of Argentine supporters inside the Lusail Stadium under his control.
The player who may be the best of all time will once again grace the biggest game in the world after eight years. He will have one final opportunity to atone. He’ll get his last opportunity to lift the prestigious World Cup.
It has become a cliche that Messi’s final World Cup is his chance to redeem himself for the heartbreak of losing to Germany in 2014, to solidify his legacy, to equal the accomplishments of his only historical peers, Pelé and Diego Maradona, and to bring his country the highest honor the game can bestow. Although attractive, that framing is incorrect.
