Luis Suarez has hailed his former Barcelona team-mate, Lionel Messi, after he helped Argentina qualify for the 2022 World Cup final.
Messi scored the game’s first goal from the penalty spot in the 34th minute and assisted Julian Alvarez in scoring a second goal to complete Tuesday’s spectacular 3-0 triumph over Croatia.
After finishing as Argentina’s runner-up in 2014 when Germany defeated La Albiceleste 1-0 in Rio de Janeiro, the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner now has a chance to win Argentina’s first World Cup since Diego Maradona led them to victory in 1986.
“You never get tired of showing that you are the best in the world,” Suarez, who spent six years with Messi at Barcelona from 2014 to 2020, wrote on Instagram.
“The whole world stops to applaud this guy and what he’s given to football. Incredible my friend!”
Messi’s longtime La Liga rival with Real Madrid, defeated Croatian midfielder Luka Modric, claimed the Argentinean deservingly won the World Cup.
“Hopefully [Messi] wins this World Cup, he is the best player in history and he deserves it,” Modric told reporters after the game.
Argentina will play the final on Sunday against either reigning world champions France or Morocco, who will meet at Al Bayt Stadium in the second semi-final on Wednesday.
16 – Lionel Messi has scored 16 goals for Argentina in 2022, more than he’s netted in any other year. Icon.
🗓️ – ⚽️
2005 – 0
2006 – 2
2007 – 6
2008 – 2
2009 – 3
2010 – 2
2011 – 4
2012 – 12
2013 – 6
2014 – 8
2015 – 4
2016 – 8
2017 – 4
2018 – 4
2019 – 5
2020 – 1
2021 – 9
2022 – 16 pic.twitter.com/WOLjytWAIL— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 13, 2022