Messi now has 12 World Cup goals – the same as Brazil great Pelé – and is the first player to score in the group stage and every round of the knockout stage in a single edition of the tournament.
After beating Croatia in the semifinals Tuesday, Messi said Sunday’s match would likely be his last in a World Cup.
The last time these two teams met was at the 2018 World Cup where France beat Argentina 4-3 in the last 16, an encounter that was arguably the most entertaining match of the tournament in Russia.
Much has been written over the recent weeks about the cold shoulder that Israelis have been given here. I haven't experienced any of this. Organizers are glad that Argentina and Messi have reached the final, guaranteeing peak interest up until the last minute.
France beat Morocco 2-0 to reach the World Cup final against Argentina, in a historic match between the defending champion and Africa’s first ever semifinalist.
Everyone, it seems, wants the Argentinian star to succeed. Hebrew now seems to be heard much more on the streets, although the presence of Israeli fans is marginal of course when compared to the massive number of Palestinian fans.
Israelis are welcomed, but Qatar has not gone out of its way to love us. After the tournament ends, the country will once again keep a safe distance from us.
Belgian police stage 16 raids across Brussels as part of a probe into corruption and money laundering at the parliament, detaining four.
Morocco beats the Portuguese 1-0 in Qatar, knocking Cristiano Ronaldo out of the tournament and making the Atlas Lions the first African and first Arab team to reach the World Cup semifinals.
Will he start, or won’t he? That’s the big question being asked about the soccer superstar after he was dropped by Portugal coach Fernando Santos for the 6-1 win over Switzerland in the round of 16 on Tuesday.