Cody Gakpo, the Dutch national team striker, shares his experience facing Lionel Messi and Argentina at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The meeting took place in the quarter-finals, a match full of emotion and in the spotlight of the world.
Lionel Messi, who eventually led Argentina to become world champions, performed brilliantly throughout the tournament.
After Argentina last won the trophy in 1986, Messi managed to lead the Albiceleste to a dramatic victory on penalties against the Netherlands.
The match, which took place at the Lusail Stadium, was marked by 18 yellow cards and tension between Messi, Dutch coach Louis van Gaal, and Wout Weghorst.
Argentina continued their steps by beating Croatia in the semifinals with a score of 3-0, and finally won over France in the final on penalties.
Battle of Lusail: An Unforgettable Match
Recently in an interview, Gakpo recalled how Messi looked different in Qatar, showing high determination to realize his dream of lifting the most prestigious trophy in world football.
Gakpo described the duel against Argentina as a match full of drama that he called the “Battle of Lusail”.
He likened the atmosphere of the match to the popular series Game of Thrones, full of unpredictable surprises.
“That match I will never forget. It felt like a story with a plot that kept changing,” Gakpo said.
“And just when you think you know how it will end, everything changes again.”
Gakpo also openly praised Messi who performed extraordinarily from the start of the match. Messi showed his class by providing an assist for Argentina’s opening goal.
Messi then scored a penalty in the second half, giving Argentina a 2-0 lead before the Netherlands equalized and forced the match to go to penalties.
“Usually Messi starts the match calmly, observing the space and the movement of the opponent. But this time, from the first minute, he immediately showed a magical touch, dribbling, and stunning movement,” Gakpo continued.
“You could feel how important this World Cup is to him”
Now, Messi is back leading Argentina in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The defending champions are at the top of the CONMEBOL zone standings, five points ahead of Uruguay.
The next schedule will bring Argentina together with Brazil and Marcelo Bielsa’s team in March.
However, there is no certainty whether Messi will appear in the 2026 World Cup which will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.