The honor of South America rests on the shoulders of Lionel Messi and his teammates.
(Baonghean.vn) - After defeating the Netherlands in a penalty shootout, Argentina became the only South American representative to reach the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup.
South America had four representatives at this year's biggest football tournament: Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, and Uruguay. However, at the end of the group stage, only Argentina and Brazil qualified for the next round. This is extremely disappointing for a region with one of the world's leading footballing nations.
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| Emiliano Martinez and Lionel Messi were the two heroes for Argentina in their match against the Netherlands. Photo: Getty |
In the Round of 16, while Argentina struggled to beat Australia, Brazil easily defeated South Korea. It seemed that being in the same bracket would guarantee South America a representative in the final, provided Brazil beat Croatia and Argentina won against the Netherlands in the quarter-finals.
Unfortunately, that scenario only unfolded halfway, as Argentina defeated the Netherlands, while Brazil succumbed to Croatia – both after tense penalty shootouts. This result meant Argentina had to face Croatia in the semi-finals, instead of their rivals Brazil – as many South American fans had hoped.
The 2022 World Cup is entering its final stages, and the Golden Trophy is quite close to Messi and his teammates. Perhaps all of South America is hoping that Argentina will win the tournament taking place in Qatar. Because since the 2002 World Cup, European teams have dominated the tournament with four consecutive titles.
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| Brazil were the champions of the 2002 World Cup held in South Korea and Japan. Photo: AFP |
In fact, three out of four finals have been "exclusive affairs" between representatives from the Old Continent. Specifically, Italy vs. France in 2006, Spain vs. Netherlands in 2010, and France vs. Croatia in 2018. Thus, with their runner-up finish in 2014, Argentina is the most recent South American team to reach the World Cup final.
Now, the "Land of Tango" team is facing a historic opportunity. If Lionel Messi and his teammates can demonstrate their true class, Argentina will have nothing to fear from any opponent. Clearly, the honor of South America rests on the shoulders of Lionel Messi and his teammates. Let's wait and see if they can fulfill the mission entrusted to them.
