Defender Nicolas Tagliafico, has said, captain Lionel Messi’s presence will be a “special advantage” for Argentina when they field against Croatia in the semi final match of the FIFA World Cup 2022 at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar.
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| Captain Lionel Messi in action for Argentina in the FIFA World Cup 2022 quarter final match against Netherlands. The Sky Blue and White defeated the Dutch Eleven on penalties 4-3 to reach the semi finals of the tournament, to face Croatia. Photo: @fifaworldcup |
The semi final encounter between Argentina and Croatia will take place on Tuesday 13 December, 2022 at 08:00pm (Nigerian Time).
The progress the South Americans have enjoyed through their FIFA World Cup 2022 campaign is obviously inspired by the presence of the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward, who has netted four goals out of their nine goals and recorded two assists.
Nicolas Tagliafico, who features for French Ligue 1 club, Lyon, as a left-back, said, “he has always been like this.
“For us he is our captain and our leader. He is the one pushing us and motivating us.
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| Wout Weghorst celebrates after scoring for Netherlands in the FIFA World Cup 2022 quarter final match against Argentina. Weghorst scored a brace to level for the Dutch Eleven, however the Europeans fell to the Sky Blue and White in penalty shootout 3-4. Photo: @fifaworldcup |
“He is the one who gives us that special advantage when we are on the pitch.
“We know we have Messi and it is a great source of motivation and hope because we all know that we can contribute and give our best. We are really happy to have Messi as our captain.
“With everyone’s support we are all working together to achieve our dreams, and it is the most beautiful thing to do it with Messi by our side.”
