DOHA, Qatar — Tears are flowing from soccer’s biggest superstars as they make emotional exits from what might be their last World Cup.
First it was Neymar. Then it was Cristiano Ronaldo. Could Lionel Messi be next?
Momentum is building behind Messi’s push to cap his career with the biggest prize in the game. The 35-year-old Argentina playmaker has carried his team to the semifinals, almost in the same way Diego Maradona — the man with whom Messi is so often compared — led the South American nation to its second and most recent World Cup title in 1986.
Now in Argentina’s way is Croatia, a country with a population of 4 million which is establishing a reputation as the most stubborn and durable of opponents while also boasting one of soccer’s most graceful players in Luka Modric.
The teams go head to head at Lusail Stadium — also the venue for Sunday’s final — in a meeting between the last two runners-up at the tournament: Argentina in 2014 and Croatia in 2018.
Argentina might have been expected to be in this position. The team arrived at the World Cup as the Copa America champion, on a 36-match unbeaten run and with Messi back in sublime form for Paris Saint-Germain.
Messi has continued that form in Qatar, scoring four goals.
“For us, he is our leader – he drives us, motivates us,” Argentina defender Nicolas Tagliafico said Monday. “We have that little bit extra when we go on the field. We are delighted that he is our captain.”
There was much less noise around the Croatians, yet they keep on surprising just like four years ago when their run to the final included a 3-0 victory over Argentina in the group stage. They also reached the World Cup semifinals in 1998.
Croatia Coach Zlatko Dalić said his team’s World Cup performances are proving to be an inspiration to other underdogs, such as fellow semifinalist Morocco.
“Everyone in life has a right to make dreams,” Dalić said. “The Croatia national team made that dream a reality for all small countries four years ago. We gave other countries the right to have those dreams.
“They are encouraged by our example, by our fight, our qualities. All other national teams are living their dreams and Morocco is no exception … But let us share the same dream.”
Both teams have come through uncomfortable moments. Argentina’s darkest time was right at the start of the tournament, after a 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia in what will go down as one of the World Cup’s biggest upsets.
Inspired by Messi and one of the most fervent fan followings in Qatar, Argentina won its final two group games, ended up squeezing past Australia 2-1 in the round of 16 and then required penalties to get past the Netherlands in a wild quarterfinal match.
Messi is one goal behind top scorer Kylian Mbappé. They are probably the two standout players at a World Cup that has seen many other top players live up to their lofty reputations.
Modric is a case in point.
He might not have scored a goal. He hasn’t even had an assist. But don’t underestimate the importance to Croatia of the little magician who keeps things ticking in midfield and manages to assert some control for a team which fights until the last minute.
In 2018, each of Croatia’s knockout games went into extra time before the team lost to France in the final. The same thing is happening in Qatar, with victories in penalty shootouts over Japan in the last 16 and Brazil in the quarterfinals.
Croatia looked more comfortable against Brazil than against Japan, which shows the team might be happier to invite pressure and choose its moments to break forward rather than control games and be more susceptible to the counterattack.
Containing Messi will be key and much of the responsibility there lies with holding midfielder Marcelo Brozovic, who protected Croatia’s defense so well against Brazil.
Argentina will be without two players because of suspension: left back Marcos Acuña and right back Gonzalo Montiel. Acuña is the bigger miss, having impressed since coming into the team after the loss to Saudi Arabia, and he is likely to be replaced by Tagliafico.
Dalic said Croatia was free from injuries.
“If we manage to win tomorrow,” he said, “that would make it the greatest game for Croatia of all time.”
UNITED STATES: American midfielder Gio Reyna almost was sent home from the World Cup because of a lack of hustle in training, for which he later apologized.
U.S. Coach Gregg Berhalter revealed the team’s concerns about a player when he spoke last week at the HOW Institute for Society’s Summit on Moral Leadership in New York. Excerpts of his remarks were later published in a newsletter by Charter Works, which analyzes management and workplace trends.
“In this last World Cup, we had a player that was clearly not meeting expectations on and off the field,” Berhalter was quoted as saying. “One of 26 players, so it stood out. As a staff, we sat together for hours deliberating what we were going to do with this player. We were ready to book a plane ticket home, that’s how extreme it was. And what it came down to was, we’re going to have one more conversation with him, and part of the conversation was how we’re going to behave from here out. There aren’t going to be any more infractions.”
“But the other thing we said to him was, you’re going to have to apologize to the group, but it’s going to have to say why you’re apologizing. It’s going to have to go deeper than just ‘Guys, I’m sorry,’” Berhalter went on. “And I prepped the leadership group with this. I said, ‘OK, this guy’s going to apologize to you as a group, to the whole team.’ And what was fantastic in this whole thing is that after he apologized, they stood up one by one and said: ‘Listen, it hasn’t been good enough. You haven’t been meeting our expectations of a teammate and we want to see change.’ They really took ownership of that process. And from that day on there were no issues with this player.”
While Berhalter didn’t identify the player, several media outlets reported Sunday it was Reyna, and a person familiar with the matter confirmed the identity to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because no announcement was made.
“Just before the World Cup, coach Berhalter told me that my role at the tournament would be very limited. I was devasted,” Reyna said in a statement Monday. “I fully expected and desperately wanted to contribute to the play of a talented group as we tried to make a statement at the World Cup.
“I am also a very emotional person, and I fully acknowledge that I let my emotions get the best of me and affect my training and behavior for a few days after learning about my limited role,” Reyna said. “I apologized to my teammates and coach for this, and I was told I was forgiven. Thereafter, I shook off my disappointment and gave everything I had on and off the field.”
Charter posted an editor’s note Sunday that said: “Berhalter’s comments were … erroneously greenlit for publication by someone representing the event organizers.”
“There was never an intention for the content to become public nor for the identity of the player to become known,” Berhalter said in a statement.
Reyna, a son of former U.S. captain Claudio Reyna and former U.S. women’s national team player Danielle Egan, missed most of Borussia Dortmund’s 2021-22 season because of leg injuries and has not played a 90-minute match this season as his condition was monitored.
“I am disappointed that there is continuing coverage of this matter … and extremely surprised that anyone on the U.S. men’s team staff would contribute to it,” Reyna said. “Coach Berhalter has always said that issues that arise with the team will stay ‘in house.’”
GRANT WAHL: The body and possessions of soccer journalist Grant Wahl were repatriated to the United States on Monday after his death last week while covering the World Cup in Qatar, a senior State Department official said.
The official said Wahl’s remains and his belongings arrived at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport around 8:30 a.m. ET. They were accompanied by a consular official from the U.S. Embassy in Doha who had had custody of Wahl’s remains since shortly after he collapsed during Friday’s match between Argentina and the Netherlands and later died.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of privacy concerns, had no additional details but said the embassy in Qatar had been working with Wahl’s family to ensure the repatriation went smoothly.
Wahl, an American journalist who helped grow the popularity of soccer in the United States and reported on some of the biggest stories in the sport, was 49.
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