Category: Qatar 2022 World Cup

Argentine legend Lionel Messi has announced the Qatar 2022 World Cup would be his last.

Messi has scored five goals and recorded four assists in the tournament, becoming Argentina’s all-time goalscorer with 96.

The 35-year-old made his statement at the end of the 3-0 win against Croatia in the Semifinals of the World Cup on Tuesday night,

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“I am very happy for finishing my journey in World Cups in a final, to play the last game in a final. That is really very gratifying,” he said.

“Everything I lived in this World Cup has been emotional, seeing how much it has been enjoyed in Argentina.

The Argentine will give it all in the finals on Sunday against the winner of France vs Morocco tonight.

Gospel singer Nathaniel Bassey has begged God to help Argentina captain, Lionel Messi, lift the World Cup trophy.

He said this prayer by sharing a picture of Messi via his Twitter handle on Tuesday.

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The gospel singer captioned the photo, “Father, please give Him the World Cup and silence his mockers.”

Credit: Twitter | nathanielblow

France striker Olivier Giroud will be out to break a World Cup record when Les Bleus meet Morocco in the semi-finals of the 2022 edition today.

Despite his advancing years, the AC Milan attacker remains Didier Deschamps’s undisputed first-choice number nine, and he has scored four goals in Qatar so far.

Giroud netted twice in France’s opening 4-1 win over Australia, which saw him draw level with Thierry Henry at the top of the men’s all-time scoring charts for his country.

The 36-year-old then surpassed his former Arsenal teammate with a 52^nd national team goal against Poland, and he came up with the winner in a 2-1 quarter-final victory over England.

Giroud is expected to start France’s semi-final with African trailblazers Morocco, as Les Bleus aim to become the first reigning champions since Brazil in 1998 to reach the World Cup final.

Should the former Arsenal and Chelsea striker find the back of the net today, he will set a new record as the oldest player to score five goals at a single World Cup.

Giroud only found the back of the net once in 12 previous World Cup appearances prior to the 2022 tournament, scoring his first in a 5-2 group-stage win over Switzerland in 2014.

The veteran attacker failed to score in any of Les Bleus’ seven games during their run to the final in 2018, although he did come up with two assists against Peru and Argentina.

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However, Giroud will have to continue until the 2030 World Cup if he wants to break the record for the tournament’s oldest goalscorer, which is currently held by Roger Milla after he netted at the age of 42 in 1994.

Giroud has formed an effective attacking quartet with Antoine Griezmann, Ousmane Dembele and Kylian Mbappe, the latter of whom has already struck five goals at the Qatar tournament.

France could therefore also match a 20-year-old feat if Giroud nets on Wednesday, as no team has had more than one player score at least five goals at a single World Cup since Ronaldo and Rivaldo did so for Brazil in 2002.

In order to do so, Mbappe and Giroud must breach a Morocco defence that has not conceded to an opposing player in the entire competition, with the only goal that Walid Regragui’s side have shipped coming via a Nayef Aguerd own goal.

Deschamps’s men are taking on a Morocco side who have already made history as the first-ever African nation to reach the World Cup semi-finals, while France are competing in the final four for the seventh time.

Each of Les Bleus’ last three appearances in the semi-finals saw them advance to the final in 1998, 2006 and 2018, but they had previously lost three in a row in 1958, 1982 and 1986.

France were handed a couple of fitness concerns on Monday, though, as Aurelien Tchouameni and Dayot Upamecano missed training with a calf injury and illness respectively.

France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris has revealed that he shared a brief text exchange with Harry Kane following Les Bleus’ World Cup 2022 quarter-final win over England.

The two Tottenham Hotspur teammates faced each other twice from the penalty spot on Saturday evening, with England being awarded their first spot kick after Aurelien Tchouameni brought down Bukayo Saka.

Kane kept his cool to crash home the spot kick after Tchouameni had given France the lead, but Olivier Giroud headed home his fourth goal of the World Cup to put the champions back in front.

However, Kane would attempt to make lightning strike twice from 12 yards after Theo Hernandez’s barge on Mason Mount, but he sent his effort over the top of Lloris’s crossbar.

Gareth Southgate’s men could not claw their way back into the contest as France advanced to the final four, and Lloris has said that he messaged Kane after the contest.

The France captain admitted that he struggled to find the right words to say to Kane, but he is confident that his Tottenham counterpart will recover from the disappointment.

“It’s a difficult time for the England national team and Harry. We had a text after the game. It was not easy to find the words. He needed some time to rest,” Lloris told a press conference.

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“I think he can be proud of what he has done for the national team. In football history, many top players have missed penalties in their career – Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo – but I have no doubt Harry will keep his chin up and help Tottenham and the national team to shine.”

Kane has reportedly been given a week off before returning to Tottenham in the wake of England’s exit, while France prepare to tackle Morocco in today’s semi-final.

The Atlas Lions have made history as the first African team to ever reach the semi-finals of the World Cup, and they have not conceded once to an opposing player at the tournament so far.

Either Argentina or Croatia will await the victors of today’s game in the World Cup final, and Lloris is taking nothing for granted against Walid Regragui’s outfit.

“It will be a hostile atmosphere inside the stadium, but we are ready for anything. Obviously, it is already a success for Morocco – but, believe me, they won’t want to stop here,” Lloris continued.

“They want to become even more of a hero for their country. We prepare to respond to the demands of a semi-final of a World Cup – it doesn’t matter the opponent.”

Following the World Cup, Lloris and Kane will reunite at Tottenham for their return to Premier League action away to Brentford on Boxing Day.

Antonio Conte’s side have already beaten Motherwell 4-0 during their winter friendly period and will also take on Nice on December 21 before resuming competitive duties.

Two-time World Cup winners Argentina will take up 2018 runners Croatia in the semifinal of the Qatar 2022 World Cup on Tuesday by 8:00pm at the Lusail Stadium.

This two giants have met on three different occasions with Argentines winning twice.

Argentina won 1-0 in the 1998 World Cup, and won in a friendly match 2-1 in November 2014.

In their most recent meeting, the Croatian side won against the La Selección in the 2018 World Cup in Russia 3-0.

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Lionel Messi and his team mates would want to continue their brilliant start after losing to Saudi Arabia in their first game, winning all other matches to get to the semi final and would want to win against Croatia to secure their place in the finals on Sunday.

On the other side, the Croatian side will want to maintain their run and get to the finals again, hoping to win the World Cup for the first time after being runners up in 2018 in a 4-2 defeat by France.

Cristiano Ronaldo has posted a cryptic social media message, saying his dream of winning the World Cup with Portugal has ended.

In the message, he stopped short of announcing his retirement from international duty.

The 37-year-old Ronaldo left the field in tears after Portugal lost 1-0 to Morocco in the quarter-finals on Saturday.

In his first comments since the elimination, Ronaldo said yesterday that it was “time to take stock”.

“There’s no point in reacting rashly,” Ronaldo wrote. “I just want everybody to know that a lot has been said, a lot has been written, a lot has been speculated about, but my dedication to Portugal has never wavered for an instant.

“I’ve always been just one more [Portuguese] fighting for everyone’s goal. I would never turn my back on my teammates or my country.”

Ronaldo, who is the all-time leading scorer in men’s international soccer with 118 goals, said putting Portugal “on the highest level in the world” was his biggest dream.

“In my five appearances at World Cups over 16 years, always playing alongside great players and supported by millions of Portuguese, I have given my all,” he wrote. “I left everything I had on the pitch. I’ll never shrink from a battle and I have never given up on that dream.

“Unfortunately, that dream ended yesterday (Saturday).”

Ronaldo said he would “let everyone draw their own conclusions.”

“For now. There’s not much else to say. Thank you, Portugal. Thank you, Qatar. The dream was beautiful as long as it lasted.”

The next major tournament is the European Championship in 2024. Ronaldo will be 41 by the time of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

FIFA on Saturday announced it had opened disciplinary procedures against Argentina and the Netherlands after a series of ugly incidents marred their bad-tempered World Cup quarter-final.

A World Cup record 18 yellow cards were shown as Argentina defeated the Dutch 4-3 on penalties Friday after a 2-2 draw at Lusail Stadium.

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The game featured multiple mass confrontations and heated exchanges as the Dutch came back from two goals down to force extra time.

The charges against the Argentina football federation relate to player and staff misconduct and “order and security at matches”, FIFA said in a statement.

The Dutch also face an investigation into the team’s behaviour.

HARRY Kane equalled England’s all-time scoring record but missed a crucial penalty as the Three Lions’ World Cup dream ended at the quarter-final stage with a 2-1 defeat to France.

Didier Deschamps’ world champions took the lead on 17 minutes through Aurelien Tchouameni’s 25-yard strike.

England felt there had been a foul in the build-up and were also frustrated when VAR failed to support their appeal for a penalty following what looked like a foul on Kane just before the break.

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The Three Lions didn’t have to wait too long for the equaliser though with Kane stepping up to equal Wayne Rooney’s record of 53 goals for England’s men’s senior side from the penalty spot on 54 minutes.

England were on the front foot but were stunned 12 minutes from time when Olivier Giroud headed in Antonie Griezmann’s excellent cross.

Gareth Southgate’s team then had a glorious chance to take the game to extra time but Kane blazed another spot kick over the bar six minutes from the end.

France will now look forward to a last-four meeting with Morocco on Wednesday.