Bangladesh Women's Cricket team will play United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the last super-six match of the ICC U-19 Women's T20 World Cup on Wednesday (January 25) at the Absa Puk Oval in Potchefstroom, South Africa to decide a semifinal berth from Group-1.   Bangladesh, the unbeaten champions of Group A, made their semifinal berth difficult after conceding a five-wicket defeat against hosts South Africa in their first super-six match last Saturday (January 21). To assure one of the two semifinal berths from Group-1, Bangladesh has to beat UAE by a huge margin on Wednesday to improve as their three opponents India, Australia and South Africa enjoying a good advantage in points and positive run-rate. India assured the semifinal berth from Group-1 securing six points from all the four matches with a good net run-rate of 2.844, followed by Australia, also with six points from all the four outings, having a net run rate of 2.210. South Africa have secured four points from three matches with a net run rate of 0.508 while Bangladesh bagged also four points from three matches, having a net run rate of 0.251.  South Africa was due to play their remaining super six-match against Sri Lanka Tuesday night (Bangladesh time) while Bangladesh will play their last super-six match against UAE on Wednesday. So, it will be very difficult for Bangladesh to manage one of the two semifinal berths from Group-1 toppling Australia and South Africa   Earlier, Bangladesh clinched the Group A crown with all-win record securing full six points from straight three matches after a creditable seven-wicket victory over giant Australia, 10-run win over Sri Lanka and five wickets victory over USA, but they went down in the semifinal race losing their first super six match against hosts South Africa by five wickets last Saturday.  

A 25-year-old Argentine fan in Sylhet's Shibganj "died of a heart attack" after celebrating the South American side's thrilling World Cup final triumph against France Sunday night. Joybroto Bhattacharya, from Sunamganj's Chhatak, died early Monday while undergoing treatment at Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College. He was a civil engineering graduate and worked at a private firm. Citing Joybroto's sister, senior lawyer of Sylhet District Bar Mujibur Rahman, said: "Joybroto watched the match last night with his friends at a Shibganj mess. After Argentina beat France, he erupted in joy and came out on the street chanting slogans." "At that time, Joybroto felt pain in his chest. As the pain became acute, his friends took him to MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital around 3am. An hour later Joybroto died." Osmani Medical College Hospital Director Brigadier General Mahbubur Rahman Bhuiyan said Joybroto might have died of a heart attack. "But we are not yet sure of the cause of his death." Read more: Argentine fan electrocuted to death while hanging flag in Laxmipur Mohammad Ali Mahmud, officer in-charge of Kotwali Model Police Station, said: "MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital informed us of the death early Monday. Joybroto's body was handed over to his family at 10am."   Argentine fans in Bangladesh erupted with screams as La Albiceleste defeated France 4-2 on penalties to claim a third World Cup title. Read more: Argentine fans chanted “Bangladesh-er doa chai!” before last night’s Qatar World Cup final    

France forward Karim Benzema posted a message on social networks Monday indicating that he is retiring from internationals, a day after the national team lost the World Cup final without him. After raising the Ballon d'Or award as the world's top player to crown his remarkable rise, Benzema's dream of winning the World Cup was over last month before the tournament in Qatar even started as he tore a muscle in his left thigh during training with Les Bleus. "I made the effort and the mistakes it took to be where I am today and I'm proud of it! I have written my story and ours is ending," Benzema wrote on his 35th birthday, in a post accompanied by a picture of him in a France shirt. Read more: Brilliant Benzema and His Road to Ballon d’Or Glory The Real Madrid striker was France's top scorer at the 2014 World Cup but did not play in the country's victorious 2018 World Cup campaign because he was still exiled from the national team for his alleged role in a sex-tape scandal with then-France teammate Mathieu Valbuena. The fallout from that scandal led to a dramatic fall from grace for Benzema. He faced a nationwide deluge of vitriol and scathing criticism, including on the political level. It led to a long exclusion from the national team from October 2015 until his recall by Deschamps in May last year. With his relationship with Deschamps repaired, Benzema scored freely for France with 10 goals in 16 games after his return to reach 37 overall, and he formed a great partnership with Kylian Mbappe. His most impressive run of performances came in last season's Champions League as he led Madrid to the title – his fifth in Europe's top competition – with 15 goals. He has moved up to second place on Madrid's all-time scoring list with 329 goals. At last year's European Championship, Benzema looked sharp and was France's top scorer with four goals. Olivier Giroud started for France in Benzema's place at the World Cup in Qatar and finished the tournament with four goals, but he was substituted before halftime of Sunday's final with Argentina leading 2-0. France fought back for 2-2 after 90 minutes and 3-3 following extra time before Argentina won a penalty shootout to cap one of the most exciting finals in World Cup history. Read more: France's Benzema ruled out of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday congratulated Argentine President Alberto Ángel Fernández on their victory in the FIFA World Cup 2022.  "On behalf of the people of Bangladesh and my own behalf, I have immense pleasure in conveying our heartfelt felicitations and warmest congratulations to you and the friendly people of the Argentine Republic on the spectacular victory of the Argentine football team in the FIFA World Cup 2022," she said in a letter to the Argentine President. She also stated that the affection and love for football, particularly the Argentine football team, profoundly connects people of the two countries. "The people of Bangladesh have demonstrated their admiration and love through the spontaneous celebration of winning the World Cup Football Championship of your national football team." Read more: “Hearts of the people of Bangladesh and Argentina are dearly united by football” Sheikh Hasina said that the unprecedented love and affection between the peoples of two football loving nations have paved the way for solid bilateral relations. She expressed hope to further consolidate the relations by opening Missions in each other's capitals in the coming days. Read more: Vamos Argentina, says Professor Yunus congratulating Messi's team on World Cup win

France played its part in one of the most memorable finishes in World Cup history, even though the defending champions failed to retain the title. Kylian Mbappé’s hat trick of goals all came late — first in regulation, then in extra time — and helped give France a 3-3 draw with Argentina in the final. In the penalty shootout, it seemed destined for Lionel Messi to win his first World Cup at the age of 35, not Mbappé to win his second at 23. Still, the foundations of France's national soccer team are solid with just under four years to go until the next World Cup in 2026. EXPECTATION VS. PERFORMANCE France outperformed expectations even as the defending champion and the world’s fourth-ranked team. A run of poor results in the UEFA Nations League, including a home loss in June to Denmark, plus a litany of injuries before and after the squad for Qatar was selected kept high hopes in check.Then, in the last training session before the flight to Doha, forward Christopher Nkunku was injured by a teammate. It got worse in Qatar. Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema was forced out of the squad because of an injury and then Lucas Hernández, the left back in the 2018 team, picked up a season-ending knee injury nine minutes into France’s first game against Australia. France persevered and got better as the team passed through the knockout rounds — against Poland, England and Morocco. The record now under France coach Didier Deschamps of two World Cup finals and a quarterfinal, plus a European Championship final and a UEFA Nations League title is truly impressive. “I’m optimistic about the future,” said Deschamps, who has expertly mixed youth and experience in his teams. “A lot of players have played in many of those tournaments and have got experience.” WHO’S OUT Only four of the 26 players in the squad has turned 30 and Deschamps has made clear he wants to sign the contract extension the French soccer federation says it wants to offer. This year's World Cup could be the last for Olivier Giroud, who at 36 took the central striker role left by Benzema and broke Thierry Henry’s all-time France scoring record.   Giroud ended the tournament with four goals and now has 53, two ahead of Henry. Mbappé has 36 and could take the record before the 2026 World Cup. Benzema turns 35 on Monday, and captain Hugo Lloris has his 36th birthday one week later. At 31, and after a standout World Cup, Antoine Griezmann can look toward another World Cup. Deschamps is still only 54 and looks far from fatigued in his 11th year on the job. WHO’S NEXT The next generation of players to revitalize Les Bleus is already at the World Cup. Several made debuts this year and their progress in Qatar was accelerated by all the injuries and illness to long-established players. Aurélien Tchouaméni was joined by former Monaco teammate Youssouf Fofana in an emergency midfield pairing, and 21-year Arsenal defender William Saliba also got playing time. Also read: 2026 World Cup hosts take diplomatic handover from Qatar If Lloris does step down, 27-year-old Mike Maignan is primed to add to his handful of international games. A domestic league winner at both Lille and AC Milan, Maignan also was injured and missed the World Cup. Nkunku, now 25, will move to Chelsea next season after four years at Leipzig and impressing in the Champions League. WHAT’S NEXT On March 24, France will host the Netherlands at Stade de France to start one of the toughest European Championship qualifying groups. A clash between the World Cup finalists and quarterfinalists is the most anticipated game on the schedule when national teams return to action in three months. Greece, Ireland and Gibraltar are also in the group, which plays through November and will send two teams directly to Euro 2024 in Germany. France also has available dates in September and October for friendly games against teams from outside Europe.

Here you can get all the details as to When, Where, and how you can watch the FIFA World Cup 2022 Final Argentina vs France Live Streaming. FIFA World Cup 2022 final Argentina vs France: Argentina will take on defending champions France in the final of the ongoing FIFA World Cup at the Lusail Stadium on Sunday. Argentina and France will face each other for the 13th time in their history, with both teams looking to win their third World Cup title. Argentina qualified for the final after a comprehensive 3-0 win against Croatia in the semifinals, while France clinched a 2-0 win against Morocco to reach its second successive final. The champion of the 2022 FIFA World Cup will be crowned on Sunday. Read More: Argentina vs France Final Match Preview: FIFA World Cup 2022 Here's everything you need to know about the highly anticipated match: How and Where to watch FIFA World Cup 2022 Argentina vs France live in Bangladesh? Bangladesh has a large number of fans who are watching FIFA World Cup 2022. Viewers can watch the match live on all of these channels: T Sports, BTV, PTE LTD and Viacom 18. Toffee apps FIFA World Cup final 2022 live-The digital platform powered by Banglalink FIFA world cup Qatar 2022 is being live telecasting on various apps. Bangladesh viewers can enjoy live stream between France vs Poland online the World Cup games on Toffee, the digital platform powered by Banglalink. On social media Facebook pages and YouTube channels also live Argentina vs France final match. Read More: How Argentina can beat France in the World Cup final How to watch Argentina vs France live stream in India In India, the World Cup is being live-streamed on Sports18, but every game is being shown for free and in 4K via the JioCinema app. You can live stream Argentina vs France Tuesday Night. In Hindi, English, Malayalam, Bengali and Tamil Coverage is available and the JioCinema app is compatible with Chromecast if you want to get a big-screen experience. How to watch Argentina vs France live stream in Australia Soccer fans in Australia can enjoy Argentina vs France, along with every World Cup 2022 game, on free-to-air SBS. You can tune in on your TV or live stream Argentina vs France using SBS if you need. This is free to use SBS on Demand and also it works on a range of smart devices as well as mobile phones, web browsers and smart TVs. Read More: Will Messi's last performance in World Cup help Argentina win the trophy in Qatar? How to watch Argentina vs France live stream World Cup 2022 soccer in the US without cable Don’t` worry If you don't have cable TV, you can enjoy match live. A cord-cutting service is what for instant access to Fox and FS1. Sling Blue is the cheapest. Its only $40 per month but you needs to get first month half-price with this discount. All of the matches of the World Cup is also being telecasted live on Peacock TV. The Peacock price may in at $4.99 a month and the service also proposals live coverage of the WWE, NFL, EPL and. If you want to subscribe to Peacock, Sling or any other US live streaming service, and find yourself unable to access coverage because you're out of the country, you can consider using a VPN How to watch Argentina vs France live sluice in UK  Football suckers in the UK can watch Argentina vs France live sluice for free on BBC iPlayer, along with numerous further World Cup 2022 games, as content of the event is resolve unevenly between the BBC and ITV.  UK Football suckers can enjoy live match of BBC iPlayer that's free to use, It works across a wide range of bias including laptops, smart TVs, mobile phones, games consoles, tablets and others streaming sticks. You can watch all the other FIFA World Cup Qatar final 2022 live aqueducts for free on ITV Hub. Argentina vs France final match live: Where can you watch live? United States –: Fox Sports app, FOX, Telemundo, fuboTV, , Telemundo Deportes En Vivo United Kingdom –: BBC Sport Website, BBC One; Live Stream: BBC iPlayer, Australia –: Live Stream: SBS On Demand, SBS; Nigeria – Showmax Pro and SuperSport. Singapore –: Channel 5, Mediacorp; Live Stream on Singapore: StarHub TV+, IPTV, Singtel TV Hong Kong – Live Stream: Now TV, ViuTV: BeIN Sports, ITV; Canada –: TSN app, CTV, TSN, fuboTV, Malaysia –: Astro Go, RTM, Astro, Live Stream Where will the Final match between Argentina vs France FIFA World Cup 2022 be held? The FIFA World Cup 2022 final match between Argentina and France will be held at the Lusail Stadium. When: December 18, 9.00 PM IST What time will the Final match between Argentina vs France FIFA World Cup 2022 kick-off? The FIFA World Cup 2022 Final match between Argentina vs France will start at 9:00 PM IST. Read More: France struck by cold virus ahead of World Cup final Argentina possible starting lineup: Argentina Possible XI vs France: Cristian Romero, Rodrigo De Paul, Emiliano Martínez, Nahuel Molina, Alex Mac Allister, Nicolás Otamendi, Marcos Acuña, Enzo Fernández, Leandro Paredes, , , Julián Álvarez, Lionel Messi France Possible starting lineup:  France Possible XI vs Argentina:  Hugo Lloris, Jules Kounde,  Raphael Varane, Dayot Upamecano, Theo Hernandez,  Aurelien Tchouameni, Adrien Rabiot, Ousmane Dembele, Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappe, Olivier Giroud Argentina vs France overall Head-to-Head record Out of the 12 matches they have played, Argentina has won six of them compared to France’s three. Three matches have ended in a draw. Both sides will be locking horns for the 13th time in football history. Argentina holds the edge over France, having won six out of 12 times in their meetings, with France winning three; the other three matches have ended in a draw. France, however, had won in their last meeting that incidentally came in the World Cup knock-out stages at the previous edition (2018). Read More: Messi or Mbappe: Who will win Golden Boot in World Cup 2022?

Fatima Garcia donned a headscarf and a black abaya — a long, loose-fitting robe — over her clothes as she walked into a mosque in Doha to learn about Islam. In Qatar to enjoy the World Cup with friends, the Salvadoran visitor took a day off from soccer to go sightseeing at the Katara mosque, where preachers have been introducing Islam in multiple languages to curious fans from around the world. “Qatar is my first exposure to Islam,” Garcia said inside the house of prayer, also known as the blue mosque for its beautiful turquoise tiles. “Qatar has been a life-changing adventure because it gives you a perspective on different cultures.” Hundreds of thousands of visitors have come to Qatar during the World Cup. For many it's their first visit to a Muslim country. Those who don't venture far beyond the stadiums and Doha's glitzy hotels will have only limited exposure to the country's religion, such as hearing the call to prayer at a distance or witnessing Muslims prostrate at prayer rooms in stadiums, airports and hotels. But for those who are curious to find out more about Islam, Qatari authorities and religious officials are eager to help. Local mosques are offering multilingual tours to visitors and the Islamic Cultural Center in Doha offers a virtual reality tour of the holy city of Mecca. Booths at tourist sites hand out free copies of the Quran and brochures about Islam are available in hotel lobbies. Billboards have been set up across Doha featuring U.S. Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammed and other Muslim personalities as part of a campaign encouraging people to explore Islam. “Why during the World Cup? Everyone is coming here from across the world to Qatar, a Muslim country, and it’s an opportunity to educate people about the faith,” said Abu Huraira, a volunteer for the campaign by the Explore Islam Foundation and the Islam & Muslims Initiative. Qatari officials say they hope the tournament will help provide visitors with a better understanding of their culture and that of the larger region. Qatar follows an ultraconservative form of Sunni Islam known as Wahhabism. But unlike neighboring Saudi Arabia, where adherence to Wahhabism led to strict segregation of unmarried men and women, banned women from driving and kept concerts, cinemas and even yoga off-limits for decades, Qatar has long sponsored the arts, allowed women to participate in high levels of governance and encouraged tourists to feel at ease. The World Cup host, though, has faced intense criticism over human rights issues, including the treatment of migrant workers, and accusations of “sportswashing” or attempting to use the event’s prestige to remake its image. Qatari officials have argued that the nation’s progress and achievements are being overlooked. The ruling emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, said some of the criticism against the first Arab and Muslim country to host the World Cup included “fabrications and double standards.” The Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs and the host country’s Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy did not respond to requests for comment. Read more: FIFA World Cup 2022: All you need to know about Qatar's laws, customs Back inside the ornate Ottoman-style Katara mosque, Riffat Ishfaq, a guide from Pakistan, told Garcia that it was designed by Turkish interior designer Zeynep Fadillioglu, whose first name is the Turkish form of the name of the eldest daughter of the Prophet Muhammed. The tiles had been handmade, Ishfaq said; the columns were covered with leather and the domed roof contained gold. By the end of the tour, Garcia also learned why women dress modestly in Islam and the origins of the religion. “We want to tell people about Islam. We feel pride in our identity,” Ishfaq said, before telling Garcia to keep the abaya as a parting gift. “This helps to dispel misconceptions.” Nearby, Sergio Morales, a Guatemalan who had come for the whole tournament, finished listening to a tour and walked out of the mosque to a booth located at the entrance where he asked for a free copy of the Quran. “Today I became interested because the guided tour was in Spanish and I could understand it all,” he said. “There should be guides in Spanish in every mosque because there are so many Latin American people coming to these countries.” Booths with free Qurans and booklets introducing the religion in several languages are also available in the winding cobbled alleys of Souq Waqif, the capital’s oldest bazaar where stores hawk spices and perfumes, scented oils and silk scarves. Just steps from there, World Cup visitors walked into the spiral-like building of the Abdullah Bin Zaid Al-Mahmoud Islamic Cultural Center, for a tour and a visit to the mosque, where people gathered for Friday prayer. Carlos Bustos, Mireya Arias and their sons, 8-year-old Jacobo and 13-year-old Matias toured the cultural center. The Colombian family read information on large placards about the contributions of the Islamic world to medicine, science, math and architecture. “What we've seen is that they've made an effort to change the image that we have in the West of seeing Islam. It's breaking that barrier,” said Carlos Bustos, who along with his sons had dressed in traditional Qatari clothes. “They've told us that we're very different but we see more similarities than differences,” he said. His wife, Mireya Arias, admired the devotion of Muslims to their faith and how they follow the call to prayer. She also appreciated the efforts made by Qatar to introduce visitors to Islam. Read more: Qatar ready to open Mideast’s first FIFA World Cup before leaders, fans “They've used a lot of strategies to get closer to visitors, for us to understand and learn,” she said. “When you're on the buses that take you to the (World Cup) stadiums, you point to a QR code and it gives you explanations about the Quran.” Doha’s Museum of Islamic Art also offers glimpses into religious beliefs and rituals. Visitors can read about the five pillars of Islam — the profession of faith, prayer, almsgiving, fasting and hajj or pilgrimage — or learn about hajj rituals and different funerary practices in the Islamic world. “The more you understand this Islamic culture, the more fascinating it is,” said Jose Antonio Tinoco, a Brazilian museum visitor, who wore his country's soccer jersey. “The most important part of the museum for me was the part on Islam.”  

Luka Modric led Croatia to third place in what was likely the midfield great’s last appearance at the World Cup. The runners-up from four years ago secured another medal by beating Morocco 2-1 in the third-place match on Saturday. Mislav Orsic scored the decisive goal shortly before halftime at Khalifa International Stadium to ensure Modric finished on a winning note, if this does turn out to be his last World Cup match. At the age of 37, that seems likely, even if there are hopes he will lead his country at the 2024 European Championship. Josko Gvardiol put Croatia ahead in the seventh minute, but Achraf Dari evened the score in the ninth. It is the second time Croatia has taken third place. The team also achieved that feat in its first World Cup as an independent nation 1998. After becoming the first African team to reach the World Cup semifinals, Morocco’s tournament ended in two losses. But the team’s achievements in Qatar will be remembered for the outpouring of pride among Arab nations. The World Cup final between defending champion France and Argentina is scheduled for Sunday at Lusail Stadium. Read more: Morocco v Croatia: Fight for 3rd place, or losers' playoff? The third-place match is considered by some to be a meaningless exhibition. Even Morocco coach Walid Regragui described it as a “booby prize” in the buildup. But neither team lacked motivation in a fiercely contested game between two nations that few expected to go so far. That was underlined by a host of players needing to be substituted because of injury in the second half as Morocco pushed for an equalizer. The teams had already played out 0-0 draw in the group stage and had made to the semifinals on the back of tough defenses, with a combined six shutouts. Goals weren’t a problem this time. Perhaps that was because of the relative freedom of playing in a game with supposedly little at stake. Another factor for Morocco, at least, was the absence of three key defenders, Romain Saiss, Nayef Aguerd and Noussair Mazraoui. The impact of those absences was felt when Croatia took the lead off Gvardiol’s diving header. In a slick move, Ivan Perisic flicked a free kick into the middle of the penalty box and the center back did the rest. Morocco responded two minutes later when Lovro Majer inadvertently helped on Hakim Ziyech’s free kick and Dari headed in to even the score. Croatia, however, was back in front three minutes before halftime. Read more: Qatar World Cup: Croatia vs Morocco match ends in goalless draw Orsic picked up the ball on the left of the box and curled a shot toward the top corner. Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou got a touch on the ball, but could only push it onto the post on its way into the net.

Argentina arguably has the World Cup’s most fervent fans, known for their rhythmical singing, incessant drumming and trance-like ferocity. The country’s history of success at the World Cup — champions in 1978 and 1986, and runners-up three times — is rivaled by few. This fervor will only grow as Lionel Messi leads Argentina against defending champion France in Sunday’s final in Qatar. The World Cup is followed almost everywhere — Brazil to Belgium, Morocco to Mexico, and Saudi Arabia to Spain. But few fans are as intense Argentina’s, or as large in numbers in Qatar. “Above that, people are quite proud of that intensity,” said Santiago Alles, who teaches political science at the University of San Andres in Argentina. “This is something that we are good at, and we care the most about it.” NATIONAL PRIDE Inflation in Argentina is running at 100%, unemployment is high and economic growth is slow, and politics are rancorous. But none of that matters during the World Cup. Even opposition political parties call a truce, knowing there is only space for upbeat talk about soccer. “For a country in the global South, opportunities to defeat the global North are not that frequent,” Alles said. “The World Cup is an opportunity to do that. The national pride is not something you can take away.” Alles noted that social media in Argentina has shown Japanese fans in Qatar imitating Argentina’s style of cheering, copying the melodies, the pounding drums, and adding improvised lyrics in Japanese. Read more: FIFA World Cup 2022: Messi seeks history with Argentina “We are exporting our way of watching games to other places -- faraway places with entirely different cultures,” Alles said. “There is some pride there.” Alles acknowledged he cannot explain entirely why soccer “holds a pervasive presence in social life,” but it’s omnipresent. “And it has been that way for at least a century,” Alles added. “I saw a picture of a large crowd listening to the 1930 World Cup on the radio.” Neighboring Uruguay defeated Argentina 4-2 in the first World Cup final, that one at Estadio Centenario in Montevideo. IN THE DNA From sunrise to sunset, in office talk or chatting with friends, the first and last topic in Argentina is often soccer. “This is a culture where soccer is related with almost every activity in our life,” said Pablo Ava, who teaches sociology at the University of Buenos Aires. “It’s not only passion, but identification. The passion you see in Qatar reflects the passion you see for clubs at a local level.” Buenos Aires is home to one of the greatest club rivalries: Boca Juniors versus River Plate. Racing Club, among the so-called “Big Five” clubs in Argentina, was strongly supported by former President Juan Domingo Peron. And the stadium was named for him. “Soccer is important,” Ava said. “It’s part of our conversation. It’s part of our life. Part of our family tradition. Part of our DNA. There is a very strong identification between soccer and your personal life.” THE POLITICS Mauricio Macri was the president of Boca Juniors, which helped propel him to the election as mayor of the capital Buenos Aires, and then the presidency of Argentina (2015-19). Other politicians are directly — or indirectly — connected to many clubs. Sergio Massa, the country’s economy minister, has been a leader at Tigre club and gets some credit for helping get it promoted to the first division. “Marci showed up in politics, not as an entrepreneur. He showed up as Boca Juniors president who won 17 cups (tournaments),” Ava said. “So many people start seeing soccer teams as a trampoline to a career in politics. “Soccer and politics have started to have a strong marriage because you get good exposure on TV and if you are a success in soccer you can take that success to the public,” Ava added. The opposite is also true. Macri attended Argentina’s loss to Saudi Arabia a few weeks ago in the opening match of group play at the World Cup. At home, Macri was seen as bringing bad luck. Consequently, current President Alberto Fernandez has said he will not attend the final. “He is not going to risk his presidency and show up at the last game in Qatar,” Ava said. UNIFYING FACTOR Argentines can disagree on everything, but the national soccer team is a unifying force like nothing else. “In a country that’s highly factious, it the factor that unites everyone,” Mark Jones, who studies Latin American politics at Rice University in Houston, told The Associated Press. “The team usually does well and it’s something to be associated with.” Read more: FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: Argentina beat Poland 2-0 to top Group C The only other unifier that’s as strong is Argentina’s claim over the Falkland Islands (Las Malvinas in Spanish), located off the country’s Atlantic coast but under British control. Argentina fought a brief war over the islands in 1982 and lost. “Argentines see the country has having gone downhill over the last 75 years, and they see their standard of living is significantly worse than it was three or four year ago,” Jones said. “So they are looking for something to be optimistic about — to be happy about — something to hold on to. The national team, the World Cup, provides that.” Ava, the sociologist, said Argentines are not “caring now to talk about the inflation, the unemployment, because we are going through something that looks more important — and least for a few more days. Politics has to take a little break to let soccer carry on.”

Lionel Messi admitted his side had suffered to qualify for the semifinals of the World Cup after a dramatic penalty shootout against the Netherlands. "We are really happy, we suffered too much, but it's a quarterfinal in the World Cup, and we suffered what we had to suffer to qualify," said Messi. Messi was the man of the match after setting up Nahuel Molina for the opening goal and then scoring Argentina's second from the penalty spot with just 17 minutes left to play. The game appeared to be over before a late Dutch fightback saw Wout Weghorst score in the 83rd and 10th minute of injury time to take it to extra time and penalties. "We are taking it game after game with the same intensity and same desire. We want to be protagonists. We are really excited and really want to win and we need this joy for us and for everyone who supports us," he said. The striker expressed his frustration at the second equalizer for the Netherlands, saying that Spanish referee, Mateu Lahoz had added on too much injury time. "I felt really angry at the late goal. I don't want to talk about the referee, because you can get a suspension, but people saw what happened. FIFA have to look at that. They can't put in a referee who isn't up to the job at this stage," he said. However, Messi said that he had confidence his side would qualify. "We knew we had an advantage with Emiliano (Martinez)," he said. He then looked ahead to the semifinal against Croatia, who also beat Brazil in a dramatic penalty shootout. Also read: World Cup: Messi, Argentina defeat Netherlands on penalties "Croatia will be really hard. They were better than Brazil at times and move the ball really well. They are working with the same coach (Zlatko Dalic) as 2018 and it will be really hard. "I've said all World Cup, we are enjoying this, the fans, and taking it step by step. "I am very happy," he concluded. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who saved two penalties in the shootout, said: "I am very excited. We played for 45 million people. The people are not having a good time economically and we are giving them some joy." "I couldn't make the saves in 90 minutes, but luckily I was able to do so in the penalties. I saved two and could have saved a third. "We won because we have balls, passion and because we played for 45 million Argentines. We are as excited as they are," said Martinez