The World Cup in Qatar continues to change historical signs, even for the semi-finalists who will take to the field this Tuesday and Wednesday
The column I wrote here on Terra on Monday, recounting some of the narratives left over from the World Cup in Qatar, raised another debate – one I’ve had with colleagues and find it interesting to share: even if NOTHING compares to the champion trophy, Lionel Messi will say goodbye to his national team after breaking some significant records. And this is repeated in other countries that are still competing in the World Cup.
The Argentina number 10 boasts three important achievements: at 35 he became the youngest player in history to play in five World Cups, surpassing the Italian Buffon; the Argentine who has competed several times in the competition, surpassing the supreme idol Diego Maradona and Mascherano; and, with 10 goals scored, he equaled Batistuta as the country’s all-time top scorer. Alone, Messi is the only athlete in the current squad to change historical statistics.
But, in addition to our compatriot, France also showed the importance of their forwards: they saw Giroud overthrow Thierry Henry as the national team’s top goalscorer, with 53 goals to 51, and Mbappé surpassing no more, no less, than Pelé as the player who has most times put the ball in the net before the age of 24 – nine x seven. While it is something that ‘takes us away’ from big things, it is part of football and I am happy to be able to witness these narratives being written.
Also, I don’t even need to mention the scale of what Morocco has achieved, being the first African team to reach the semi-finals of a World Cup. Perhaps this is the “simplest” and most memorable achievement of this edition. For Croatia, I would like to clarify: the seven players with the most minutes played in the tournament come from this team. A lot of resistance and breath to follow in an attempt to definitively enter history.
Of course, for our part, we’ve also seen some records broken. These are the cases, for example, of Neymar who equalizes with Pelé reaching 77 goals in the national team; Dani Alves becomes the most experienced name in Brazil in the championship dispute, overtaking teammate Thiago Silva; and also the defender himself, overtaking Cafu and Dunga as the player who has captained the national team to the most times at the World Cup.
Now, I know, all of these brands may not jump at you with such enthusiasm. But, I repeat: we are witnessing the writing of an important page of the World Cup and I hope to remember in detail everything that the World Cup in Qatar overturned and made happen.
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Source: Terra
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
