Disgusting: – Ugly

Lucille (Dagbladet): Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal are eliminated. As well as Neymar and Brazil. Lionel Messi’s Argentina, along with Kylian Mbappe and France, are considered favorites to win the World Cup on Sunday 18 December.

Messi and Argentina did not win many hearts with the way many players behaved during and after the match against the Netherlands. Among other things, Messi was shot when he called Wout Weghorst an “idiot” and the Argentine players mocked the opposing team when they decided the match on penalties.

Writing in the Daily Mail, Oliver Holt has always associated Messi with ‘beauty’, considering what the 35-year-old has delivered on the pitch throughout his long career. What Holt saw against Holland was the opposite.

“There is nothing beautiful about it. It is ugly. Really ugly. That image should fill anyone who sees it with loathing and contempt. It is the opposite of what sport should be.” Holt writes About the image below.

He died after collapsing

It is part of history that American journalist Grant Wahl collapsed into the press stand during the match in question, and later died at the local hospital.

For those who watched the drama unfold, what happened on the pitch became secondary.

“And then you look at the pitch and the players and all you see is ugliness and hatred and lack of respect and lack of compassion and lack of unity and lack of blessing and the lack of really humanity on the pitch that is already spoiled by the suffering of those who built it,” Holt writes and continues:

“The gloom is not enough coverage, but at least I mean this: the exhilaration at the thought of Messi and Argentina winning the World Cup has faded into the desert.”

That’s why Messi got angry

– unfair

Messi stated after the match that he allowed himself to be offended by coach Louis van Gaal’s speech before and Wighorst’s behavior during the match. He thought it was disrespectful.

– It’s football. The criticism was unfair, because we know how to behave when we win and lose. We lost to Saudi Arabia and we didn’t say anything. We beat Brazil and there was a beautiful sporting moment between Messi, Neymar and Paredes after the match, coach Lionel Scaloni said in a press conference in Doha on Monday.

He was referring to when the team beat Brazil in the Copa America.

Defender Nicolás Tagliafico was also questioned about the behavior of the Argentine players.

– I would say that there are situations that happen in football. We are not machines, we feel emotions. Emotions run wild and things like this happen in the best football. “We are talking about the quarter-finals, where the two teams are competing for the same goal,” Tagliafico said at the press conference.

– What is he doing here?

Maybe he feels pressured

Cristian Hleba works for Diario El Norte, Argentina. He believes Messi has never been better in a World Cup final.

Messi is the best player in this World Cup, I think. This is the best World Cup presented by Messi. He has played in the World Cup five times, but he has never played better. It is a very good version of the Messi that we see, he told Haliba Dagbladet and continues:

Argentina is very dependent on Messi. If Messi is good, Argentina can beat Croatia. If Messi is bad, it will be difficult. Argentina want to win 4-1 and 3-0 in matches, but it is difficult for them. When Messi puts the ball at his feet, they gain confidence.

Do you think Messi feels pressure?

– Can. Messi said he is angry with the referees because he thinks they are not doing their job. It might also have something to do with stress. Messi is usually calm but he hit back a few times here. Messi is the captain, the real leader, says Haliba.

As for Messi’s 2-0 celebration, when he grabbed his ears after scoring from a penalty kick, Haliba had a theory as to why.

– A lot of people at the World Cup ask: ‘Where is Messi? Where is Messi? Where is Messi?’, so maybe that was the reason he did it, to show ‘I am here’, says Haliba.