When Croatia faces Argentina on Tuesday, it pins two of the best players to have played their position, Lionel Messi and Luka Modric. Both players have won the Ballon d’Or and UEFA Champions League.
However, neither has won a FIFA World Cup and with both in their mid to late 30s, this is likely their last chance to lift the biggest prize in international football.
During a segment on Sky Sports Tuesday, Danny Mills compared what a World Cup would mean to the legacy of the two players.
“For Messi, I think he needs it to put him up there as possibly the greatest of all time and compare himself to the likes of Maradona and Pele and people like that and he’s a genius,” Mills stated.
“Modric equally is good in different ways. The way that he goes about his business is a little bit quieter. There’s not quite as much pizzazz around what he does. Sometimes you have to be at the game to watch Modric to really see how good he is.”
🗣 "Messi needs it to put him up there as the greatest of all time."
Danny Mills compares Lionel Messi & Luka Modric as they potentially face off in their last World Cup match #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/7thm9qZN2a
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) December 13, 2022
Both players are attempting to win the matchup to advance to the World Cup final and avenge the losses that they each endured. Messi fell to Germany in 2014; meanwhile, Modric lost to France in 2018, so it’s one last attempt to rewrite history regarding their international careers.
Messi and Modric will likely put together quality performances; it might come down to their supporting cast and which steps up as to who wins the game.
