AGENCIES

December 13: Argentina and Lionel Messi face Croatia on Tuesday in a World Cup semi-final that pits South American flair against the guile of Luka Modric and a remarkable fighting spirit, AFP reported.

“Two iconic Ballon d'Or-winning number 10s. Two beaten World Cup finalists. Two captains. One last chance to finally reach the peak of football and lift the famous trophy before they retire,” BBC wrote on its website.

It is hard to look past Argentina's Lionel Messi and Croatia's Luka Modric as the two difference-makers in Tuesday's first World Cup semi-final, added the BBC.

With Paris St-Germain's Messi now 35 and Real Madrid's Modric 37, it seems highly likely the final or third-place play-off this weekend will be where their World Cup careers end.

According to AFP, Messi will attempt to guide Argentina into the final for the second time in eight years against the beaten finalists in 2018.

Messi, who suffered defeat to Germany in the 2014 final, is desperate to crown an extraordinary career by finally winning the World Cup and emulating another Argentinian legend, the late Diego Maradona.

The Paris Saint-Germain forward was a pivotal figure in Friday's stormy quarter-final win over the Netherlands, when a record 18 yellow cards were shown and players from both sides were involved in a melee as the referee fought to regain control, the French news agency added.

Croatia are hoping Argentina's bad-tempered World Cup quarter-final qualification over the Netherlands with 16 yellow cards and one red will not spill over into Tuesday's semi-final, Reuters reported citing coach Zlatko Dalic.

Croatia, who beat Japan and pre-tournament favourites Brazil in penalty shoot-outs to reach the last four, have not won a knockout game in normal time at a major tournament since they came third at the 1998 World Cup.

Despite doing it the hard way, the country of 3.9 million people surprised the football world by reaching the final four years ago, where France crushed their dreams with a 4-2 win.

Croatia, with Real Madrid playmaker Modric still the leader on the pitch at the age of 37, have again defied the odds to stand on the brink of a second successive final.

Coach Zlatko Dalic said he wanted Tuesday's match to be remembered as the "greatest game" in the country's history.

The match is scheduled for 12:45 am tonight (December 14).