'There's a whole country behind Messi' Argentina prepare for Croatia
Momentum is building behind Lionel 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.
"Well... First, we'll see if he will continue to play (with Argentina) or not. Nevertheless, let's enjoy having him. It's the best thing for us and for the world of football. If he goes well, all of us will be well. there's a whole country behind us. But we still have a long way to go, we will have a very tough match tomorrow. We must fully focus on that." said Lionel Scaloni, Argentina head coach
About critics saying 'Argentina don't know how to behave when winning'
"We need to remove this taboo that we are like this (don't know how to behave when winning)." said Lionel Scaloni
"We know how to lose and how to win. We lost our first match against Saudi Arabia and we went with our mouth shut to our hotel to prepare for what was ahead of us."
" We won Copa America in Brazil and I believe we saw the most beautiful picture of sportsmanship that could ever happen in the world of football, with Neymar, (Lionel) Messi and (Leandro) Paredes, other players, sitting down at the stairs of the tunnel that leads to the locker room of Maracana (stadium). I don't buy this idea that we don't know how to win. We must remove this idea because we must have some pride in ourselves. And we do."
Now in Argentina's way is Croatia.
"About (Luka) Modric, it's a pleasure to see him in the pitch, playing. He's an example for so many, not just because of his skills as a player, but for his behavior as well. Like when we faced (Robert) Lewandowski, a great player. Someone who loves football wants these guys in the pitch."
"We are expecting a very tough match against a squad that really put a meaning to what is a team. They are a great group, a great team and will make our lives harder
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.
