You canât convince me life is just a series of coincidences. What do you mean Lionel Messi was randomly paired with a five-month-old baby after the babyâs family won a UNICEF raffle for a charity photoshoot while Messi played for Barcelona⊠and that baby grew up to be Lamine Yamal?
Lamine would go on to become one of the brightest young stars in soccer, wear the same No. 19 Messi wore for the same team when that photo was taken, and now, nearly two decades later, could face Messi in a World Cup Final???????
đšZlatan IbrahimoviÄ on Spain eliminating Portugal from the FIFA World Cup:
đŁïž âPortugal should be ashamed of that performance. Not because they lost to Spain, but because they never played like a team that wanted to win. They had Cristiano Ronaldo on the pitch, one of the greatest goalscorers football has ever seen, yet they spent most of the game passing sideways, backwards and taking the easy option. If you are going to start Ronaldo, then have the courage to play for him. Instead, they looked selfish, predictable and completely out of ideas.
Bruno Fernandes is one of the most talented creators in football, but talent means nothing if you donât use it correctly. Too many times he looked for another pass instead of putting the ball where it hurts defenders. Ronaldo was making runs, asking for crosses, waiting inside the box, and the service never came. What is the point of having the best finisher if you refuse to feed him? That is not football intelligence.
Spain deserve enormous credit because they kept believing until the very end. They moved the ball with patience, controlled the rhythm and waited for Portugal to make one mistake. Mikel Merino punished them when the moment arrived. That is the difference between a team with a clear identity and a team full of individuals trying to solve everything on their own.
Portugal did not lose because Cristiano Ronaldo was on the pitch. They lost because they never adapted to the players they had. They lacked imagination, they lacked bravery and, above all, they lacked unity. Football rewards teams that think together. Tonight Spain thought together. Portugal thought separately. Thatâs why one nation is celebrating, and the other is going home.â