Why are we going with Luka Modric’s Croatia and not with our beloved Argentina (Leo Messi’s)

The World Cup in Qatar is coming to an end and it will be only then that we will really start thinking about the sweet Christmas and also about the real problems. But before the football and the controversy end, 88,986 spectators will enjoy at the Lusail Stadium the historic moment in which Lionel Messi, Luka Modric, Hugo Lloris or Romain Saiss will lift the world champion’s cup. And before that, this Tuesday at 8:00 p.m., peninsular time, Modric and Messi dueled. It can only be one.

With the Red at home since the round of 16, each Spaniard has decided who he goes with. It is assumed that many Barcelona fans go with Argentina because they consider Messi as the most deserving to win the title and become the Maradona of the 21st century. It doesn’t matter to the culés that Rosario’s will go to PSG or that they have Dembélé and Koundé on their squad, still in competition.

Many Sevilla supporters go to Morocco for similar reasons. In addition to the fact that our neighbors to the south are the revelation team, those from Nervión have Qatar, Bono and En-Nesyri alive. But Seville (with permission from Betis) has three representatives among Sampaoli’s: Acuña, Montiel and Papu Gómez. Presumably those from Atlético de Madrid go with Griezmann before Nahuel Molina.

The madridistas have Benzemá in Didier Deschamps’ France, and although he doesn’t play due to injury they can cheer on Tchouaméni or Camavinga. But the desire that Mbappé does not triumph, vilified after hesitating Florentino and the Merengue team, is stronger.

But without a doubt the vast majority of Real Madrid fans and many other fans go with Luka Modric, that is, with Croatia. A final like the one in 2018, between France and Croatia, in addition to a great match (like any other at this point) would be patrimonialized by the meringues as a tribute to Real Madrid.

But it is also that Luka Modric is much more gentleman and adorable than Messi, and has complained much less than Argentina against the Spanish refereeing. Seeing the Croatian consoling several players from Brazil after the penalty shootout, seeing how he hugged Casemiro and watching how he stopped with Rodrygo (who missed a penalty): “Nothing happens. Everyone fails. You’re going to come back stronger. I want to!” she told him before literally kissing him. Nothing to do with the dirty things that Messi left us in Argentina against the Netherlands.

Lionel was a trickster even with Van Gaal and lynched the Spanish referee Mateu Lahoz, and that he whistled more than one yellow card to the opponents for touching Messi and he forgave a card. He then insulted the Dutchman Weghorst after the game: “What are you looking at, you fool! What are you looking at, you fool! Go there, fool!” He plays better than anyone but he is rude and doesn’t know how to lose.

Four years ago, Lionel Messi was the victim of a historic beating, which Argentina received. Croatia destroyed Albiceleste by three goals to nil in the first round of the 2018 World Cup. Scaloni was Jorge Sampaoli’s assistant at the time.

Luka Modric, a five-time Champions League champion with Real Madrid and Ballon d’Or for best player in the world in 2018 against Messi (in addition to Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappé), has more titles than Messi. But the Croats know that Argentina is a great team. It is also true that they are under more pressure than Croatia, which has already succeeded in reaching this point.

Argentina seems to have recovered from their humiliating loss to Saudi Arabia in their first game of the tournament and a heart-stopping penalty kick against the Netherlands. It is also true that Zlatko Dalic’s Croatia has reached the penultimate round having won a single match against Canada. The rest, draws and penalties. The semifinal is the face to face between Leo Messi and Luka Modric. Messi is 35 years old, two years younger than Modric. But for both it is their last chance to win the World Cup.

Modric, despite his age, is not only a great midfielder, who doesn’t lose the ball: he works like no other throughout the game and we’ve seen him with an enormous physique. He seems much colder than Messi, but let’s not forget how he cried in Russia after losing in the final. Surely then he thought it was his last chance. And surely he doesn’t want to cry, unless he’s emotional.

Leo Messi captains an Argentina subjected to suffering in the first phase, in the round of 16, and in the quarterfinals in Qatar. If he doesn’t win this World Cup, he will never be Maradona. Argentina believes so, and Leo knows it.