Captains of the World (2023) s01e05 Episode Script
Mind Games
1
[intense music playing]
[indistinct shouting]
[commentator 1] It is Netherlands
against Argentina.
Two entrenched intercontinental rivals.
[all cheering]
First time at this World Cup,
the two captains are club mates.
Harry Kane and Hugo Lloris,
both of Tottenham,
friends as well as colleagues.
[kids chattering]
[Messi in Spanish] I was really angry.
They talked a lot before the game,
and, of course, I didn't like it.
[Louis in Dutch]
We have a score to settle.
Messi does not participate in the game
when the opponent has the ball
and that's where we'll have opportunities.
[cheering]
[Kane in English] Me and Hugo
have a great relationship,
but for a game like this,
we're not friends.
[commentator 1] This for the right to face
Croatia in the semi-final here.
[commentator 2] They're gonna fight
to face Morocco
who have done incredibly well
to get to a semi-final.
[Laurens] One goal, one moment of genius
could make or break your dream
of winning the biggest prize in football.
[indistinct chatter]
[commentator 1] We start with England
who cruised to another quarter-final of
a major tournament
under Gareth Southgate.
England against the reigning
champions France
for a first ever encounter
in the knockout stage of a World Cup.
[commentator 2] They will need Harry Kane
at his very best if England have
any chance of beating
the defending world champions.
- [man] You all right?
- All good.
- [man] Ready to go?
- Good, thank you.
[Kane] Every major tournament
for your national team is tough.
It's important that
you control your emotions.
[Southgate] To progress in a World Cup,
got to have a strong squad
and you've got to have the right sort of
atmosphere around the group as well.
[cheering]
Just a few!
I think England always think
they should be winning, so
But history would tell us
that's not really been the case.
[commentator 1] And that goal
is going to be allowed.
[commentator 2] He's missed!
And England are out!
[crowd roaring]
No!
[commentator 3] England lose
on a penalty shootout!
[Dyke] English football has a problem
so today I want to set the whole
of English football two targets.
The first is for the England team
to at least reach the semi-finals
of the Euro Championships in 2020
[commentator] Shaw! They've got it!
and the second is for us to win
the World Cup in 2022.
To show we are making progress,
I'd like to see us doing well
in the Under-20s World Cup in 2017.
[commentator]
England are the world champions!
[Dyke] The top players have to be able
to handle pressure
if they want to be winners,
and we want to be winners.
[indistinct conversation]
[Lineker] The expectation is something
that can weigh on the shoulders a lot.
But England are an emerging team.
They've got this incredible group
of young players.
This young England team are so exciting.
Some of the best players
in their position in the world.
[commentator] Harry Kane!
Bellingham's in there!
And what a moment for the teenager!
I think all the lads are willing
to play hard for each other,
which is important.
[Grealish] It's a team full of confidence.
We've scored a lot of goals,
I think the most in the tournament.
No! What's he doing?
You've got, you know,
real creative players.
Bukayo Saka!
He's one of the best 1v1 players
in the team.
[reporter] Do you think you can be
the Kylian Mbappé of this World Cup?
You know, I just wanna be myself
and help my team in the best way I can.
Becks, sorry to interrupt, I was wondering
if I could get a picture, yeah?
I'm just happy that we're all here,
doing well
and the priority is to try
and win the tournament.
Look, that's embarrassing.
When the machine tells you you're good,
you're good.
[laughs]
England players are setting
a great example in terms of
showing that their role is not only
restricted to the football pitch.
And in the case of Marcus Rashford,
what he was able
to achieve was incredible.
[reporter 1] MPs have voted against
free school meals
in England during holiday time.
[reporter 2] Prime Minister,
will children go hungry this summer?
[reporter 3]
Faced with questions like that,
politicians need to come up with answers
and a Twitter spat with
a young, popular international footballer
was unlikely to help.
Marcus Rashford has been speaking
about his experiences of poverty.
[Marcus] Have any of the government people
had a life where parents were struggling,
because I doubt they have.
[reporter 3] Marcus Rashford says
he's given a voice to vulnerable families.
They don't have anyone fighting for them
and I should be the one that does it.
1.3 million children in England
will be able to claim vouchers
for free school meals
during the summer holidays
following the campaign
led by Manchester United footballer
Marcus Rashford.
I talked to Marcus today
and congratulated him on his campaign
in which, to be honest,
I only became aware of
very, very recently today.
Football just has this
amazing power to unite
and transcend
some of these real deep issues.
[reporter 1] You set up
the Players Together campaign.
It raised £4 million
for the NHS during COVID.
It was an incredible thing to do.
What made you think of it
in the first place? Why did you start it?
I remember at the beginning,
I don't even know
if there was enough PPE at the beginning.
Staff coming in unprotected
and then going home to their families.
Watching that on tele was quite shocking.
I was a part of something special
rather than being the reason for it.
It started with all the Premier League
captains and representatives of each team.
I can't thank you enough.
Honestly, I'm not here for you
to thank me.
I'm here to say thank you to all of you.
I can only imagine how tough it's been.
[Izidro] It was very nice to see
this group of English players
who were not afraid to stand up
for what they believe.
[man] Harry, give us a kiss, will you?
Do you love the little lad?
Is he serious or not?
[Aluko] I'm really excited
about this England team.
We can go all the way.
We've got the ability to go all the way.
[man] That's the one, Chris?
[Lloris speaking French]
I think in general
English players
are known around the world,
thanks to the Premier League of course,
and big clubs representing England
in European competitions.
But we're trying to prepare as best
we can, and focus on the details.
We're trying to be as precise
as possible.
It's certainly going to be a big battle.
They have their strengths
and we have ours.
We've got what it takes
to play a big match.
There's a lot at stake,
reaching the final four
of this competition, which is symbolic.
[in English] Big night fellas?
Big night, big performance, come on!
Got to want this, boys.
Got to fucking want this.
Come on, lads. Come on!
[Laurens] The relationship between Harry
Kane and Hugo Lloris is a very strong one.
They have been playing together
for the same club, Tottenham,
in London, for ten years.
Their wives know each other,
their children know each other.
And yet, this game, they're opponents.
[commentator] England against France,
the potential for a classic quarter-final.
[Giroud in French] We're gonna win
this match together!
We'll put our soul into it, right?
Together until the last minute!
[Deschamps] Let's go, guys!
Collective strength!
Everybody giving their all.
[commentator in English]
So the stage is set.
These moments can be daunting,
they can be filled with questions.
It is the time to get the focus.
Final words. Final rallying cries.
[Kane] We're not here just to reach
the quarter-final, let's put it that way.
We have a real belief
and we have a real determination.
We have to keep believing
if we want to go all the way.
[referee blows whistle]
[commentator 1] France get us away.
Remarkably, they meet for the first time
in the most unforgiving environment,
the knockout phase of a major tournament.
[speaking indistinctly]
[commentator 1] Giroud!
[commentator 2] That's unlucky.
[commentator 1] Walker
Opportunity to make a foray forward.
And combine with Saka
Some robust defending by Upamecano
and he can bring it away.
[commentator 2]
And Walker out of position.
Scrambling to get back right now,
and here he is.
[commentator 1] Mbappé,
through the challenge of Rice.
Now Dembélé
Griezmann.
[French commentator] Griezmann's pass
to Tchouaméni Strike from Tchouaméni
It's a goal!
- [all cheering]
- Tchouaménieni scores from 25 metres out!
What a beauty!
[commentator 1 in English]
The world champions take control!
Saka
Into Kane though
First opportunity for him!
And Lloris out to thwart
his club teammate.
It's the first time really that
alarm bells were clanging back there.
Saka, harrying Hernandez
to good effect here
And it's Kane
He believes he was caught.
The officials are not in agreement,
so the game goes on
and England go on chasing an equalizer.
Now Kane, he might unleash here.
[crowd exclaiming]
[commentator 2] Doesn't he hit that
beautifully, Harry Kane.
[referee blows whistle]
[commentator 1]
The half-time whistle comes.
[Thuram in French] If you have a smart
attacker like that one there, Kane,
he did the same thing twice,
exactly as we were saying.
Imagine If he does that,
you can't do anything.
The guy is tall, you can't do anything.
You are behind him
Stay behind him!
If he does this, it's over for you.
If the guy is smart, he just does this,
that's all it takes
and you become useless.
[Southgate in English] Go and win
this fucking game, come on!
[Stones] Come on,
let's fucking believe it.
Forty-five minutes now, come on.
[in French] We're leading now
and we can't let go.
And then up front as usual,
sting, sting, sting and score!
And then we tighten it up at the back,
stick together.
If someone has the ball,
we go and catch him.
Let's go, guys, we had an awesome
first half, let's keep going!
[players clapping]
[player] We're gonna score.
Come on, believe it. Come on.
We're gonna score. Come on.
[commentator 1] So England
get the second half away
[referee blows whistle]
seeking to find the answers.
[French commentator]
Saka, keeps on pressing!
One-two with Bellingham.
Watch out for Saka Saka falls!
- It's a penalty!
- [whistle blows]
Oh, no! No!
It's a penalty. It can't be contested.
[commentator 1 in English]
The French goalscorer concedes the penalty
that opens the door for England.
This is a mind game to end them all.
[commentator 2] Because it's his teammate,
because they know each other so well.
[French commentator]
Harry Kane, Hugo Lloris
What a sporting moment!
Mind games between
the two friends at Tottenham.
[Kane in English] I always like
to grab the ball,
have the ball in my hand
so no one can throw it away.
Stay calm.
I always kind of know
where I want to put the penalty.
Focus on that. Don't worry
about anything else that's going on.
- [whistle blows]
- You have no excuses.
- [commentator 1] Kane keeps his head!
- [crowd roaring]
A landmark for Harry Kane
in the white shirt of England!
He moves level with Wayne Rooney
as their all-time top goalscorer.
[commentator 2] It's been a great response
from England.
They've gone after France a bit,
they're applying pressure,
just being more aggressive.
[commentator 1] Rabiot's cross,
Dembélé hoping to win it
Giroud is there!
And Jordan Pickford saves England!
Will that be a moment of regret?
[French commentator]
It's not over for the French
with a cross
from Antoine Griezmann for Giroud
Olivier Giroud!
Giroud scores!
It's his 53rd goal for the French team!
It's massive!
Olivier Giroud! Olivier Giroud!
[cheering]
[commentator 1 in English]
England have to do it all again.
The French are in sight of victory.
[commentator 1] Ooh, now then.
That was a risk from Hernandez there
[commentator 2] That's a penalty!
That has to be a penalty!
[commentator 1] VAR checking.
[commentator 2] They've gotta check it!
It's a penalty!
[commentator 1] Wilton Sampaio
holds the destiny of this quarter-final
in his hands.
- The decision is clear
- [referee blows whistle]
and so is the English relief.
But now the mind games begin again.
Harry Kane has answered
the prayers of English football followers
often enough.
Now he must produce again against
the most familiar foe he could face.
[whistle blows]
- [crowd exclaiming]
- And Harry Kane cannot answer the call!
French jubilation!
[yelling]
For once, one of England's great servants
could not deliver in their hour of need.
Was the psychological prospect
of facing someone
who knows him so, so well
just too much in that moment?
[referee blows whistle]
The world champions' grip
on the trophy will not be loosened.
Harry Kane sheds tears.
[Kane] It will live with me forever.
[commentator 1] And the world champions
move on to a semi-final with Morocco.
[inaudible conversation]
[Lloris in French] And Harry, it saddens
me to see him like this of course,
but that's football.
[commentator 1 in English]
England 1, France 2.
[in French] Semi-finalists,
semi-finalists, semi-finalists!
[yelling indistinctly]
[banging]
I've experienced many days with the Blues,
but today is one of the best.
One of the best!
Freed from desire!
La la la la la la! ♪
Freed from desire!
Allez les Bleus! ♪
[vocalizing]
[reporter in Dutch] How realistic is it
the Dutch will become world champions?
I have said that we have a team
that might become World Champions.
I have been head coach three times
for the Dutch team.
I have to say, this is
the best group I have ever had.
I think he is a special person
in how he expresses himself.
What you're feeling is shame!
We're the best!
Very honest and straight to the point.
Then why are you asking this question?
Am I the smart one,
or are you just stupid?
I treated the question with contempt,
not the journalist asking it.
I can't say a bad word about him.
[inaudible conversation]
[Louis] We made a plan together.
Not just me but the players too,
to become world champions.
That is our goal.
And that doesn't include losing
in the quarter-finals to Argentina.
[reporter 1 in English]
Netherlands will face Argentina
for a place in the World Cup semi-finals.
[reporter 2] Extraordinary match-up,
incredible history
between the two nations.
[reporter 3] Either Louis van Gaal
or Lionel Messi's final hopes
of winning a World Cup will be over.
[reporter 4] This is a game which has huge
historical memories
[crowd roaring]
So much history
between Argentina and Netherlands.
Cruyff in '74.
[commentator 1] Cruyff, the ballet master,
dances through Holland's first goal.
1978 World Cup final in Argentina,
it's a rivalry defined by genius.
[commentator 2] That is it for Kempes.
[Laurens] But also one where
the losing team always felt robbed.
[commentator 3] Yes!
It's 3-1 and that's the World Cup!
[Laurens] In 1998, quarter-final,
in the dying minutes of the game,
one of the greatest goals
in World Cup history
[commentator 4] Frank de Boer,
long ball to Dennis Bergkamp
It's a wonderful first touch,
can he finish?
- Oh, yes, he can! A moment of genius!
- [crowd roaring]
[Laurens] In 2014, the semi-final
with van Gaal as the head coach.
[commentator 5] What a save!
And Argentina are nearly there!
And who have Argentina sent up
but Lionel Messi.
[Louis] We were the better team
in the semi-final.
We have a score to settle.
That is engraved in my memory, of course.
[reporter] Mr. van Gaal, there's been
talk about how you will neutralize Messi.
Just how are you planning to do that?
Well, I'm not going to tell you that.
Because then I'll have
told you our tactics.
- And that would be dumb!
- [crowd chuckling]
I don't think
it's too difficult to work out.
You could also work it out.
Stop him receiving a pass!
[in Spanish] I think the Netherlands
provoked Messi in a way
that sparked a version of him
we'd rarely seen.
[Louis in Dutch] Messi does not
participate in the game
when the opponent has the ball
and that's where we'll have opportunities.
[Messi in Spanish] Some teammates told me,
"Did you see what van Gaal said?"
They talked a lot before the game
and I didn't like it.
[Laurens in English] Beyond the comments
made by van Gaal,
there was something else
lingering for Messi.
In the early 2000s, van Gaal nearly
destroyed the career of Messi's idol,
Juan Roman Riquelme.
The Dutch coach refused to play
the Argentinian at Barcelona.
[commentator] Riquelme!
[Laurens] When Riquelme
scored for Barcelona,
he would do his trademark celebration
towards van Gaal.
Messi never forgot this.
[yelling indistinctly]
[Messi in Spanish] For many years
I've been talking to Roman.
And during the World Cup
we spoke after matches.
[Laurens] I think van Gaal making himself
the center of the story
has given Messi
the opportunity to create a target
for the Argentinian team to rally against.
[Louis in Dutch]
It's fun to talk about revenge.
[Messi in Spanish] A coach like van Gaal,
with all his expertise
expressing himself the way he did
and being disrespectful.
He was out of order. It didn't make sense.
I felt he was disrespectful
to Argentina's national team.
[indistinct chatter]
[siren wailing]
[singing in Spanish]
To become champions ♪
We must win today ♪
[in Spanish] We felt that
they weren't respectful enough
to Leo, and to the team.
As we always say,
if you threaten Leo or make him angry,
you only make it worse.
[Argentinian player]
Let's go, let's go, let's go!
[commentator 1 in English] They walk here
just as their forerunners did,
into the ticker tape of Buenos Aires,
the endless night of São Paulo.
A game for the ages, of Cruyff and Krul,
Passarella and Kempes,
of that ball from de Boer
and Bergkamp's balletic beauty.
An album of memories,
and tonight,
an abundance of scrumptious possibilities.
- [referee blows whistle]
- [crowd roaring]
It just feels special.
De Paul Messi.
Lionel Messi!
Got under it.
In his own time, when he wants,
Lionel Messi driving at the heart of them,
and getting tipped over.
[Messi in Spanish]
It was a really tough game.
We were facing a great team.
It's not only up to me.
We have a very good group of players.
They know how to dig in and fight
when the going gets tough.
[Allister] Obviously if we have
to protect Leo, we do.
[commentator 1 in English]
Craftily taken by Messi
And fiddling through a beautiful pass!
[crowd roaring]
Messi cut them in half!
And the rest was simple!
[commentator 2] Well, it's one
of the passes of the World Cup so far.
The magic man Messi.
[commentator 1] Álvarez, he's strong.
He's having to be strong,
shoulder to shoulder with Dumfries.
[commentator 2] It's a good battle.
[commentator 1 chuckles] Wout Weghorst
has talked himself into trouble.
[referee blows whistle]
The Albiceleste shine!
[referee blows whistle]
[commentator 1] Whenever Argentina have
previously won a World Cup quarter-final,
they have gone on also
to win their semi-final
and to march therefore into the final.
That is an omen to which they will cling,
if this is a lead to which they cling.
It's down to those in orange
to erase that lead.
Acuña, driving beyond Dumfries
who challenged Penalty!
[commentator 3 in Spanish]
Attention everyone!
Messi's approaching the ball.
The left-footed shot is coming up!
He's not taking much of a run-up.
[commentator 1] Lionel Messi
[commentator 3] Goal for Argentina!
It's Messi with a penalty!
[commentator 1 in English]
Step by step, they draw closer
to the ultimate fulfilment.
Dutch noses have been put out of joint.
It's as fiery and heated on the bench
as it is on the grass.
Wout Weghorst is introduced
in place of Memphis Depay.
[Weghorst] As a human being,
as a footballer player,
I've been fighting for this my whole life.
When I was a little kid playing football
in the house with my brothers,
you're dreaming of playing a World Cup.
My role was clear, I was a substitute
and I was more of a Plan B,
so I was already
a little bit disappointed about this.
But I always had the belief
there will be coming one moment
and then I will be needed
and I can make the difference.
[commentator 3 in Spanish] Looking for
Weghorst again, cross comes into the box
- Goal!
- [crowd roaring]
[commentator 1 in English]
The Dutch have dug back in!
It's still retrievable!
[Weghorst] I played with a lot of emotions
on the pitch, not giving up.
I was fighting with everybody,
doesn't matter who it was.
[blows whistle]
I was trying to get this belief back
and fighting back and
Yeah, in my opinion
it was maybe a good thing
to take on the big leader of them,
to show them it's not over yet.
[Messi in Spanish] Those are very
nerve-racking moments,
everything happens very quickly.
You don't have time
to think about anything,
you just react in the moment.
[commentator 2 in English]
This should be some finish to the match!
[commentator 1] Otamendi
Taken back by de Jong
Aké
Who's sent crashing
over the outrushing Argentine.
Leandro Paredes
clouted the ball at the bench,
and there is a wave of Dutch orange
as they rose as one to confront him.
[commentator 2] Been simmering,
hasn't it, tempers
And when you smash the ball
into the dugout like that,
the reaction from those subs
is inevitable.
[commentator 1] Frenkie de Jong,
seconds are running out
- Up into the air by Paredes
- [whistle blows]
Oh, that looks like a foul!
That is gonna be a free-kick.
[commentator 2] What a silly challenge.
What a silly challenge.
[commentator 1] In minute one hundred.
[commentator 3 in Spanish]
Time so nearly up.
I think it was an unnecessary foul.
[commentator 1 in English]
On the edge of tears,
Netherlands on the edge of elimination.
One kick of the ball
Eyes on the prize,
and the prize is big, to stay alive.
2-2! Extraordinary!
101 minutes!
[commentator 3 in Spanish] Goal for
Netherlands. Koopmeiners with set-piece.
And it's an equalizer Unbelievable!
[commentator 1] Wout Weghorst,
and the immediate future is still
is still orange!
[commentator 2] And the striker
that's done so well since coming on
showed nimble, neat footwork there
when it mattered most.
[Weghorst] That was by far
the most special moment of my career
because it was actually the free-kick
I brought in to the national team.
To do that for your country,
bring us back in the game,
bring us back in having a dream
to get the World Cup.
Yeah, that was really special.
[commentator 1]
And on Wout Weghorst's face
is emblazoned
the wide-eyed thrill of a man
who is having the night of his life.
[referee blows whistle]
That's it for now,
but of course there will be more.
There is fury on one side,
frenzied thrill on the other.
There is confrontation,
pushing and shoving.
Tetchiness.
And so we head to penalties.
Virgil van Dijk, leading from
the front for the Netherlands.
[Emiliano in Spanish] I wasn't well known
when I started playing for Argentina.
I came to England
to help my family financially.
I was getting better match by match.
Now's the time to help my country.
I mean, I can't let them down.
[commentator 1 in English]
The tension actually is painful.
[Emiliano in Spanish]
I never saw it as pressure,
but rather as a job, a duty.
I have to save one or two.
[commentator 1 in English]
That is a great save from Emi Martínez!
[yells indistinctly]
[commentator 3 in Spanish] Martínez
saved it, ladies and gentlemen!
Now it's Messi's turn.
[commentator 1 in English]
If this goes against Argentina,
Messi's kick of the ball
could be his last at a World Cup.
A nation on his shoulders.
[referee blows whistle]
And Messi answers the call.
[commentator 3 in Spanish] Scoring gives
peace of mind to his teammates.
[commentator 4] Martínez as composed
when he saved the first penalty,
as Leo was when he took Argentina's
first penalty.
[Emiliano] Saving the first penalty
is like marking your territory.
Scoring won't be easy for them,
particularly the second penalty.
[crowd whistling]
[commentator 1 in English]
Oh, another great get by Martínez!
[crowd roaring]
Why wouldn't he dance?
Paredes, thumps it! And means it!
Teun Koopmeiners
[commentator 3 in Spanish]
So far Emiliano Martínez
has been outstanding.
[commentator 1 in English] And the light
is not yet out on the Netherlands.
Montiel Beauty.
They're on the cusp.
[commentator 3 in Spanish]
Weghorst is up next.
[Weghorst] As a football player,
there's not a single moment
with more pressure on it
than this single take.
You have to be totally trusting
in what you're doing.
[commentator 1]
And Weghorst does score.
A little bit of aggro.
And to take what could be
the telling penalty for Argentina,
Enzo Fernández,
has dragged it wide.
[commentator 4 in Spanish] He hit it
too hard and too far to the side.
[commentator 1 in English]
De Jong rolls it in, with poise.
The tenth penalty of ten.
[commentator 3 in Spanish] Argentina,
at Lautaro Martínez's feet.
[referee blows whistle]
[commentator 1 in English]
Argentina march on!
[commentator 3 in Spanish]
Lautaro Martínez did it!
The only one who went
to celebrate with Emiliano Martínez,
who's on the ground, was Messi.
Messi with Emiliano.
[commentator 1 in English]
The Dutch dumbfounded,
confounded and heading home.
[commentator 2] Not much
shaking of hands down there.
There's plenty of players
having to be separated.
[Weghorst] It's over.
I felt totally broken.
The biggest thing you can achieve
as a football player
was only two games more after this one.
And Yeah.
I'm not sure if you're ever gonna
come this close again.
Go away.
I was just emotional. I was I was crying.
Van Gaal was there for me
because he saw what it meant.
It was also his dream.
We were saying to each other
it could have been so special.
I was waiting for him
to give him a hand, yeah?
He's doing like this.
That's not respectful.
[bleeping]
[Messi in Spanish] Go home! Go home!
[reporter 1] What made you so angry?
You're not usually that upset.
The player in the number 19 shirt
kept provoking us,
bumping into us,
and saying things from the start.
I don't think that kind of behavior
belongs in football.
The truth is that
I was really angry before the match
because a coach like van Gaal,
with his experience,
the way he spoke, his lack of respect,
I felt that
that he had disrespected
the Argentina team.
[indistinct chatter]
[reporter in Dutch] Might be early,
but what do you feel you leave behind
now that your time
as Dutch national coach is over?
How do you feel?
Well, at least we leave
a very good group behind.
I had a great time with all of them.
It hurts unbelievably
how we went out again.
Those guys fought to the end,
and now we've given it our all,
and I'm very proud.
Thank you.
[commentator 1 in English]
Just four teams remain
with a chance of lifting the World Cup,
- [Deschamps in French] Good?
- [man] Good.
[woman speaks indistinctly]
In English? Okay.
- [man 2 in Spanish] Ready?
- [Scaloni] I am.
- [man 3 in Croatian] May we?
- We may.
[woman] Describe your feelings
after qualifying for the semi-finals.
Well
[cheering]
It's the first time
I've ever cried at a football match.
But it didn't last long.
Even in my wildest dreams, leading
my country to a World Cup semi-final,
being amongst
the best four teams in the world
It's extraordinary!
Today, I'm only thinking about
the semi-final against Morocco.
Hats off to you guys, honestly!
We're in the semi-final. It's huge!
[all cheering]
[Deschamps] I am calm, serene.
I am extremely happy to be here.
But there are two of us
who want it, and well,
only one of us will be happy at the end.
The objective is to knock out France.
[man 4 in Spanish] So, Leo
It was an incredibly tough match
against Holland.
We saw a side of the captain
that many people didn't know.
[Scaloni] When he feels
that someone attacks him,
you risk seeing him
like he was the other day,
winning the match
and playing the way he did.
The next game against Croatia
will probably be just as long.
The team's manager
is also their biggest icon.
[in Croatian] To be realistic,
not many expected us to get this far.
We've managed to get the most
out of this team and this World Cup.
Luka helped me a lot.
Without him, none of this
would have happened.
Getting knocked out early
is easier to process.
There's not much to regret,
you get over it.
But when you lose in the semi-finals,
it leaves a bitter taste.
[indistinct conversation]
[Walid in French]
This will be the toughest challenge.
If we achieve this feat,
it will be a huge upset.
Listen, it made me laugh.
This guy told me,
"We're going back to the 8th century."
"They're taking back Portugal
and Spain."
- And now it's time for France.
- Right.
You know that we won it four years ago.
Can we win again?
Yes, maybe.
[cheering]
Well, the secret is to adapt.
As you all know,
we have many injured players.
[groans]
[in English] That's the same side
I had my problem.
[in French] In the knockout stage,
I had an injury to my thigh.
If you're in pain,
you need to learn how to get over it
if you want to play.
But you can't become
a hindrance to the team.
To play or not to play?
You're going to think I'm mad, but no.
That's not how we should think.
We want to go to the final
and win the World Cup.
This isn't just talk.
[in Croatian] Everyone's allowed
to have their own dream.
[cheering]
I think that four years ago,
the Croatian team
made it possible
for small countries to dream.
[Modrić] We believe in ourselves.
It would be amazing to achieve
something like that again,
for me to feel it once again
with the national team.
[in Spanish] How are you?
Are you all right?
Well, we're not there yet.
You've almost achieved an incredible goal.
What will you say to your players?
I'd just say, "Thank you."
There's nothing else to say.
I think any Argentinian
would say the same.
They should be proud.
We should enjoy this moment.
I'm enjoying it in my own way.
They are proud.
[Martinez] Thank you. Good luck!
[man] There goes Argentina's manager.
He's visibly moved.
It'd impossible not to be moved.
[Deschamps in French]
Tonight is your night!
It's now, not later!
It's now!
Guys, watch out for stupid fouls.
In the area, in the penalty area.
Remember what happened during
the last game. We almost lost it.
No stupid fouls.
We keep standing. We're patient.
Two finals in a row.
We can't miss out on history!
Let's go, guys!
[coach] Have a great match.
[in Arabic] Believe!
[Walid in French] We're not content
to be the only team from Africa
to get to the World Cup semi-finals.
We've got to go further.
We might not get this chance again.
- Hey, good luck.
- Good luck.
[in Arabic] Believe!
[Saïss in French]
There are a lot of emotions
and I personally want to do well
and continue this great adventure.
[cheering]
The coach was worried
because I came out injured.
Come on! Come on!
[French commentator] What a night
we're going to witness.
First meeting in a major tournament.
And what a match
between France and Morocco.
[cheering]
[commentator 1 in English]
This is the Lusail Stadium.
One of Argentina or Croatia
will reserve themselves a place
in Sunday's World Cup final.
[Dalić in Croatian] Boys,
we are playing for the final.
There is no greater motivation than this.
Play with your head and your heart.
Play calmly and smartly today,
play our game.
But also, be ready to fight
every second of the game.
Be as brave as we've been so far.
Come on! Above all
Croatia!
[Dalić] We're playing against
a great team in Argentina,
led by Leo Messi.
They're certainly dealing
with more pressure
than Croatia right now.
[commentator 1 in English]
Messi and Modrić,
flames which never seem to flicker,
maestro of their nation's generation,
each staring
into the eye of his final chance.
[commentator 2] For Didier Deschamps,
the French coach,
he'll be looking for the same sort of
start as their game against England.
As for Morocco,
can they frighten the world champions
in these early exchanges?
[referee blows whistle]
[commentator 1] Saïss' influence is key.
This is Amrabat.
He epitomizes the ever-burning desire
Morocco demonstrated and had to show
every step of the way to this semi-final.
Messi No one defter
through congestion than him.
Modrić
Completely done by Modrić.
[Scaloni in Spanish] It's a pleasure
for me to watch Modrić.
Anyone who loves football
wants to see those players on the pitch.
[Walid in French] For the semi-final,
Romain and I spoke a lot.
If he could even be just 80% fit,
it was a risk I was willing to take.
[commentator 2 in English] They've got
problems at the back, Morocco.
They're keeping their fingers crossed.
[French commentator]
Griezmann's in the box
Mbappé shoots! It's blocked
Another shot comes in
Again, again!
It's dropping for Hernandez! It's a goal!
It's France's goal!
The goal stands!
Théo Hernandez, right at the start,
brings the stadium alive.
[commentator 1 in English]
Messi and Álvarez combining
Here is Julián Álvarez!
The referee has pointed at the spot!
[Spanish commentator] It's a penalty
for Argentina in the 32nd minute.
[commentator 1] Lionel Messi
stares into the eyes
of another World Cup final!
[crowd roaring]
Olé, olé, olé! I love you more
And more each day! ♪
[commentator 1] For every romantic thought
on behalf of Lionel Messi,
there must be a reflection
on behalf of Luka Modrić.
[commentator 2] Challenges are flying in
as you would expect.
[commentator 1]
Giroud's got in behind Saïss here
Olivier Giroud!
[commentator 2] Watch Romain Saïss,
I think his race is run.
I'm not sure he'll be able to continue.
He can't run.
[commentator 1] This risk
has not reaped reward
and Romain Saïss
makes a reluctant, inevitable exit.
You've got to feel for him.
[Saïss in French]
I said to myself, "It'll be okay."
"It's not that serious."
In that moment, it was hard to take.
[commentator 1 in English]
Messi looks to nick it clear,
and nick it clear he has.
And Álvarez is on his way!
[Spanish commentator]
Molina looking for the ball in the box!
Here come Argentina!
The rebound falls to him!
- Goal!
- [crowd roaring]
[commentator 1 in English] Sensational!
What a big goal
that might be for Argentina!
Wind in the Moroccan sails.
[commentator 2]
En-Nesyri dancing in there
Dari didn't quite get there
[commentator 1] And acrobatic!
Off the post from El Yamiq,
the center back!
[Walid in French] There was
a good reaction after the goal,
and after Romain's substitution.
At half-time,
we felt we weren't far off.
[commentator 2 in English]
What an end to the half
for Morocco after a nightmare start.
[commentator 1] Half time.
Argentina are most of the way
to the World Cup final.
It's embarrassing. It was obvious.
Obvious you will do this.
Obvious!
[Deschamps in French] Guys, listen to me.
We're doing well,
but we have to do even better,
especially towards their end
so that we can find some gaps.
[player in Spanish]
Come on lads, let's go!
Don't slow down, all right?
Same as before!
[referee blows whistle]
[Spanish commentator]
Messi attacking down the wing,
he turns, Gvardiol is chasing him,
Messi keeps going on his own
Álvarez is already in the box!
This or that way? Messi's tricking him!
Messi into the box!
There goes Messi! Goal!
[commentator 1 in English] Messi again
with the marvelous mischief!
Julián Álvarez with the finish,
and Argentina, all but in the final!
[Spanish commentator] Superb!
What an incredible goal!
What a great goal by Julián Álvarez!
And what a run by Messi!
[French commentator] Fofana finds Mbappé,
who succeeds in getting rid of his marker
He passes to Marcus Thuram
who gets into the box.
Marcus Thuram passes back to Mbappé.
Mbappé in the box,
Mbappé slaloming Mbappé who strikes!
And the goal! The second goal for France!
It's a goal for Kolo Muani!
Kolo Muani scores!
It's unbelievable! It's unbelievable!
It's a goal for Kolo Muani!
This indestructible French team lead 2-0!
[commentator 1 in English] The substitute,
Ezzalzouli It's an amazing run here!
And Ezzalzouli!
And Ounahi! Oh!
And Hamdallah can't turn it in!
Well, still they carry the fight
Still they do not feel that
they are beaten.
[commentator 2] This is a poignant moment.
Croatia says goodbye to perhaps
its greatest player ever.
[commentator 1] Yeah. Croatia fans
have a chance to applaud their hero.
What a career he's had.
[referee blows whistle]
[commentator 1] Argentina will play
the World Cup final
as Luka Modrić says farewell.
[Modrić in Croatian] It's what you dream
about as a boy.
Playing for Croatia
It's an indescribable kind of love.
[referee blows whistle]
[commentator 1 in English] They still have
their hands on the trophy!
But Walid Regragui and Morocco
have written really
the story of the tournament.
[in French] We put Morocco on the map.
We never gave up.
We showed that Moroccans
were able to achieve things like this.
[Saïss] We gave people hope.
I think it went beyond football.
We showed people that
anything is possible.
That was the real victory in the end.
[cheering]
Thanks. I have
a press conference later, but that's fine!
What can I say, guys?
Once again, well done!
You're exactly where you wanted to be.
This journey isn't a bed of roses.
But you deserve it, guys.
All of you, okay?
Bravo to you all!
[players yelling indistinctly]
[Spanish commentator]
Ladies and gentlemen,
Argentina are through to the final!
[commentator 1 in English] Messi will play
in the ultimate game
but it is an Argentina team,
an Argentinian nation which celebrates.
At Maracaná
The final against Brazil ♪
[exclaims]
[Scaloni] No player in the world
deserves to be champion more than him.
And we'll give everything
to lift the World Cup with him.
We'll give it our all.
[indistinct chatter]
I just want to say,
with the World Cup final coming up,
and while we all want you to win it,
I want to tell you,
regardless of what happens,
there's something
no one can take away from you.
You've touched every Argentinian's heart.
I mean it.
There isn't a single kid
without your shirt, the original,
a replica, or an imaginary shirt.
I hope you carry that in your heart,
because it's more important
than the World Cup.
And you already have that.
So, thank you, captain.
Well, thank you so much.
I truly felt the love
of the people all this time.
We all want to be champions
and we want things to go our way
and finish on a high note.
[commentator 1] This is the final
of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
[French commentator] Ladies
and gentlemen, France against Argentina.
[commentator 1 in English]
Was it written? Can it be?
[French commentator] Everything is
possible. We could become world champions.
[commentator 1 in English]
France again, or Argentina at last?
[Spanish commentator]
The emotion is incredible.
[Messi in Spanish]
I saw it there, gleaming.
The trophy was calling out to me.
[commentator 1 in English] This is epic!
[Mbappé in French]
My first obsession is winning.
They're playing
a fucking good World Cup final!
And we're not!
[commentator 1 in English]
One of the greatest football matches
that has ever been played.
[intense music playing]
[indistinct shouting]
[commentator 1] It is Netherlands
against Argentina.
Two entrenched intercontinental rivals.
[all cheering]
First time at this World Cup,
the two captains are club mates.
Harry Kane and Hugo Lloris,
both of Tottenham,
friends as well as colleagues.
[kids chattering]
[Messi in Spanish] I was really angry.
They talked a lot before the game,
and, of course, I didn't like it.
[Louis in Dutch]
We have a score to settle.
Messi does not participate in the game
when the opponent has the ball
and that's where we'll have opportunities.
[cheering]
[Kane in English] Me and Hugo
have a great relationship,
but for a game like this,
we're not friends.
[commentator 1] This for the right to face
Croatia in the semi-final here.
[commentator 2] They're gonna fight
to face Morocco
who have done incredibly well
to get to a semi-final.
[Laurens] One goal, one moment of genius
could make or break your dream
of winning the biggest prize in football.
[indistinct chatter]
[commentator 1] We start with England
who cruised to another quarter-final of
a major tournament
under Gareth Southgate.
England against the reigning
champions France
for a first ever encounter
in the knockout stage of a World Cup.
[commentator 2] They will need Harry Kane
at his very best if England have
any chance of beating
the defending world champions.
- [man] You all right?
- All good.
- [man] Ready to go?
- Good, thank you.
[Kane] Every major tournament
for your national team is tough.
It's important that
you control your emotions.
[Southgate] To progress in a World Cup,
got to have a strong squad
and you've got to have the right sort of
atmosphere around the group as well.
[cheering]
Just a few!
I think England always think
they should be winning, so
But history would tell us
that's not really been the case.
[commentator 1] And that goal
is going to be allowed.
[commentator 2] He's missed!
And England are out!
[crowd roaring]
No!
[commentator 3] England lose
on a penalty shootout!
[Dyke] English football has a problem
so today I want to set the whole
of English football two targets.
The first is for the England team
to at least reach the semi-finals
of the Euro Championships in 2020
[commentator] Shaw! They've got it!
and the second is for us to win
the World Cup in 2022.
To show we are making progress,
I'd like to see us doing well
in the Under-20s World Cup in 2017.
[commentator]
England are the world champions!
[Dyke] The top players have to be able
to handle pressure
if they want to be winners,
and we want to be winners.
[indistinct conversation]
[Lineker] The expectation is something
that can weigh on the shoulders a lot.
But England are an emerging team.
They've got this incredible group
of young players.
This young England team are so exciting.
Some of the best players
in their position in the world.
[commentator] Harry Kane!
Bellingham's in there!
And what a moment for the teenager!
I think all the lads are willing
to play hard for each other,
which is important.
[Grealish] It's a team full of confidence.
We've scored a lot of goals,
I think the most in the tournament.
No! What's he doing?
You've got, you know,
real creative players.
Bukayo Saka!
He's one of the best 1v1 players
in the team.
[reporter] Do you think you can be
the Kylian Mbappé of this World Cup?
You know, I just wanna be myself
and help my team in the best way I can.
Becks, sorry to interrupt, I was wondering
if I could get a picture, yeah?
I'm just happy that we're all here,
doing well
and the priority is to try
and win the tournament.
Look, that's embarrassing.
When the machine tells you you're good,
you're good.
[laughs]
England players are setting
a great example in terms of
showing that their role is not only
restricted to the football pitch.
And in the case of Marcus Rashford,
what he was able
to achieve was incredible.
[reporter 1] MPs have voted against
free school meals
in England during holiday time.
[reporter 2] Prime Minister,
will children go hungry this summer?
[reporter 3]
Faced with questions like that,
politicians need to come up with answers
and a Twitter spat with
a young, popular international footballer
was unlikely to help.
Marcus Rashford has been speaking
about his experiences of poverty.
[Marcus] Have any of the government people
had a life where parents were struggling,
because I doubt they have.
[reporter 3] Marcus Rashford says
he's given a voice to vulnerable families.
They don't have anyone fighting for them
and I should be the one that does it.
1.3 million children in England
will be able to claim vouchers
for free school meals
during the summer holidays
following the campaign
led by Manchester United footballer
Marcus Rashford.
I talked to Marcus today
and congratulated him on his campaign
in which, to be honest,
I only became aware of
very, very recently today.
Football just has this
amazing power to unite
and transcend
some of these real deep issues.
[reporter 1] You set up
the Players Together campaign.
It raised £4 million
for the NHS during COVID.
It was an incredible thing to do.
What made you think of it
in the first place? Why did you start it?
I remember at the beginning,
I don't even know
if there was enough PPE at the beginning.
Staff coming in unprotected
and then going home to their families.
Watching that on tele was quite shocking.
I was a part of something special
rather than being the reason for it.
It started with all the Premier League
captains and representatives of each team.
I can't thank you enough.
Honestly, I'm not here for you
to thank me.
I'm here to say thank you to all of you.
I can only imagine how tough it's been.
[Izidro] It was very nice to see
this group of English players
who were not afraid to stand up
for what they believe.
[man] Harry, give us a kiss, will you?
Do you love the little lad?
Is he serious or not?
[Aluko] I'm really excited
about this England team.
We can go all the way.
We've got the ability to go all the way.
[man] That's the one, Chris?
[Lloris speaking French]
I think in general
English players
are known around the world,
thanks to the Premier League of course,
and big clubs representing England
in European competitions.
But we're trying to prepare as best
we can, and focus on the details.
We're trying to be as precise
as possible.
It's certainly going to be a big battle.
They have their strengths
and we have ours.
We've got what it takes
to play a big match.
There's a lot at stake,
reaching the final four
of this competition, which is symbolic.
[in English] Big night fellas?
Big night, big performance, come on!
Got to want this, boys.
Got to fucking want this.
Come on, lads. Come on!
[Laurens] The relationship between Harry
Kane and Hugo Lloris is a very strong one.
They have been playing together
for the same club, Tottenham,
in London, for ten years.
Their wives know each other,
their children know each other.
And yet, this game, they're opponents.
[commentator] England against France,
the potential for a classic quarter-final.
[Giroud in French] We're gonna win
this match together!
We'll put our soul into it, right?
Together until the last minute!
[Deschamps] Let's go, guys!
Collective strength!
Everybody giving their all.
[commentator in English]
So the stage is set.
These moments can be daunting,
they can be filled with questions.
It is the time to get the focus.
Final words. Final rallying cries.
[Kane] We're not here just to reach
the quarter-final, let's put it that way.
We have a real belief
and we have a real determination.
We have to keep believing
if we want to go all the way.
[referee blows whistle]
[commentator 1] France get us away.
Remarkably, they meet for the first time
in the most unforgiving environment,
the knockout phase of a major tournament.
[speaking indistinctly]
[commentator 1] Giroud!
[commentator 2] That's unlucky.
[commentator 1] Walker
Opportunity to make a foray forward.
And combine with Saka
Some robust defending by Upamecano
and he can bring it away.
[commentator 2]
And Walker out of position.
Scrambling to get back right now,
and here he is.
[commentator 1] Mbappé,
through the challenge of Rice.
Now Dembélé
Griezmann.
[French commentator] Griezmann's pass
to Tchouaméni Strike from Tchouaméni
It's a goal!
- [all cheering]
- Tchouaménieni scores from 25 metres out!
What a beauty!
[commentator 1 in English]
The world champions take control!
Saka
Into Kane though
First opportunity for him!
And Lloris out to thwart
his club teammate.
It's the first time really that
alarm bells were clanging back there.
Saka, harrying Hernandez
to good effect here
And it's Kane
He believes he was caught.
The officials are not in agreement,
so the game goes on
and England go on chasing an equalizer.
Now Kane, he might unleash here.
[crowd exclaiming]
[commentator 2] Doesn't he hit that
beautifully, Harry Kane.
[referee blows whistle]
[commentator 1]
The half-time whistle comes.
[Thuram in French] If you have a smart
attacker like that one there, Kane,
he did the same thing twice,
exactly as we were saying.
Imagine If he does that,
you can't do anything.
The guy is tall, you can't do anything.
You are behind him
Stay behind him!
If he does this, it's over for you.
If the guy is smart, he just does this,
that's all it takes
and you become useless.
[Southgate in English] Go and win
this fucking game, come on!
[Stones] Come on,
let's fucking believe it.
Forty-five minutes now, come on.
[in French] We're leading now
and we can't let go.
And then up front as usual,
sting, sting, sting and score!
And then we tighten it up at the back,
stick together.
If someone has the ball,
we go and catch him.
Let's go, guys, we had an awesome
first half, let's keep going!
[players clapping]
[player] We're gonna score.
Come on, believe it. Come on.
We're gonna score. Come on.
[commentator 1] So England
get the second half away
[referee blows whistle]
seeking to find the answers.
[French commentator]
Saka, keeps on pressing!
One-two with Bellingham.
Watch out for Saka Saka falls!
- It's a penalty!
- [whistle blows]
Oh, no! No!
It's a penalty. It can't be contested.
[commentator 1 in English]
The French goalscorer concedes the penalty
that opens the door for England.
This is a mind game to end them all.
[commentator 2] Because it's his teammate,
because they know each other so well.
[French commentator]
Harry Kane, Hugo Lloris
What a sporting moment!
Mind games between
the two friends at Tottenham.
[Kane in English] I always like
to grab the ball,
have the ball in my hand
so no one can throw it away.
Stay calm.
I always kind of know
where I want to put the penalty.
Focus on that. Don't worry
about anything else that's going on.
- [whistle blows]
- You have no excuses.
- [commentator 1] Kane keeps his head!
- [crowd roaring]
A landmark for Harry Kane
in the white shirt of England!
He moves level with Wayne Rooney
as their all-time top goalscorer.
[commentator 2] It's been a great response
from England.
They've gone after France a bit,
they're applying pressure,
just being more aggressive.
[commentator 1] Rabiot's cross,
Dembélé hoping to win it
Giroud is there!
And Jordan Pickford saves England!
Will that be a moment of regret?
[French commentator]
It's not over for the French
with a cross
from Antoine Griezmann for Giroud
Olivier Giroud!
Giroud scores!
It's his 53rd goal for the French team!
It's massive!
Olivier Giroud! Olivier Giroud!
[cheering]
[commentator 1 in English]
England have to do it all again.
The French are in sight of victory.
[commentator 1] Ooh, now then.
That was a risk from Hernandez there
[commentator 2] That's a penalty!
That has to be a penalty!
[commentator 1] VAR checking.
[commentator 2] They've gotta check it!
It's a penalty!
[commentator 1] Wilton Sampaio
holds the destiny of this quarter-final
in his hands.
- The decision is clear
- [referee blows whistle]
and so is the English relief.
But now the mind games begin again.
Harry Kane has answered
the prayers of English football followers
often enough.
Now he must produce again against
the most familiar foe he could face.
[whistle blows]
- [crowd exclaiming]
- And Harry Kane cannot answer the call!
French jubilation!
[yelling]
For once, one of England's great servants
could not deliver in their hour of need.
Was the psychological prospect
of facing someone
who knows him so, so well
just too much in that moment?
[referee blows whistle]
The world champions' grip
on the trophy will not be loosened.
Harry Kane sheds tears.
[Kane] It will live with me forever.
[commentator 1] And the world champions
move on to a semi-final with Morocco.
[inaudible conversation]
[Lloris in French] And Harry, it saddens
me to see him like this of course,
but that's football.
[commentator 1 in English]
England 1, France 2.
[in French] Semi-finalists,
semi-finalists, semi-finalists!
[yelling indistinctly]
[banging]
I've experienced many days with the Blues,
but today is one of the best.
One of the best!
Freed from desire!
La la la la la la! ♪
Freed from desire!
Allez les Bleus! ♪
[vocalizing]
[reporter in Dutch] How realistic is it
the Dutch will become world champions?
I have said that we have a team
that might become World Champions.
I have been head coach three times
for the Dutch team.
I have to say, this is
the best group I have ever had.
I think he is a special person
in how he expresses himself.
What you're feeling is shame!
We're the best!
Very honest and straight to the point.
Then why are you asking this question?
Am I the smart one,
or are you just stupid?
I treated the question with contempt,
not the journalist asking it.
I can't say a bad word about him.
[inaudible conversation]
[Louis] We made a plan together.
Not just me but the players too,
to become world champions.
That is our goal.
And that doesn't include losing
in the quarter-finals to Argentina.
[reporter 1 in English]
Netherlands will face Argentina
for a place in the World Cup semi-finals.
[reporter 2] Extraordinary match-up,
incredible history
between the two nations.
[reporter 3] Either Louis van Gaal
or Lionel Messi's final hopes
of winning a World Cup will be over.
[reporter 4] This is a game which has huge
historical memories
[crowd roaring]
So much history
between Argentina and Netherlands.
Cruyff in '74.
[commentator 1] Cruyff, the ballet master,
dances through Holland's first goal.
1978 World Cup final in Argentina,
it's a rivalry defined by genius.
[commentator 2] That is it for Kempes.
[Laurens] But also one where
the losing team always felt robbed.
[commentator 3] Yes!
It's 3-1 and that's the World Cup!
[Laurens] In 1998, quarter-final,
in the dying minutes of the game,
one of the greatest goals
in World Cup history
[commentator 4] Frank de Boer,
long ball to Dennis Bergkamp
It's a wonderful first touch,
can he finish?
- Oh, yes, he can! A moment of genius!
- [crowd roaring]
[Laurens] In 2014, the semi-final
with van Gaal as the head coach.
[commentator 5] What a save!
And Argentina are nearly there!
And who have Argentina sent up
but Lionel Messi.
[Louis] We were the better team
in the semi-final.
We have a score to settle.
That is engraved in my memory, of course.
[reporter] Mr. van Gaal, there's been
talk about how you will neutralize Messi.
Just how are you planning to do that?
Well, I'm not going to tell you that.
Because then I'll have
told you our tactics.
- And that would be dumb!
- [crowd chuckling]
I don't think
it's too difficult to work out.
You could also work it out.
Stop him receiving a pass!
[in Spanish] I think the Netherlands
provoked Messi in a way
that sparked a version of him
we'd rarely seen.
[Louis in Dutch] Messi does not
participate in the game
when the opponent has the ball
and that's where we'll have opportunities.
[Messi in Spanish] Some teammates told me,
"Did you see what van Gaal said?"
They talked a lot before the game
and I didn't like it.
[Laurens in English] Beyond the comments
made by van Gaal,
there was something else
lingering for Messi.
In the early 2000s, van Gaal nearly
destroyed the career of Messi's idol,
Juan Roman Riquelme.
The Dutch coach refused to play
the Argentinian at Barcelona.
[commentator] Riquelme!
[Laurens] When Riquelme
scored for Barcelona,
he would do his trademark celebration
towards van Gaal.
Messi never forgot this.
[yelling indistinctly]
[Messi in Spanish] For many years
I've been talking to Roman.
And during the World Cup
we spoke after matches.
[Laurens] I think van Gaal making himself
the center of the story
has given Messi
the opportunity to create a target
for the Argentinian team to rally against.
[Louis in Dutch]
It's fun to talk about revenge.
[Messi in Spanish] A coach like van Gaal,
with all his expertise
expressing himself the way he did
and being disrespectful.
He was out of order. It didn't make sense.
I felt he was disrespectful
to Argentina's national team.
[indistinct chatter]
[siren wailing]
[singing in Spanish]
To become champions ♪
We must win today ♪
[in Spanish] We felt that
they weren't respectful enough
to Leo, and to the team.
As we always say,
if you threaten Leo or make him angry,
you only make it worse.
[Argentinian player]
Let's go, let's go, let's go!
[commentator 1 in English] They walk here
just as their forerunners did,
into the ticker tape of Buenos Aires,
the endless night of São Paulo.
A game for the ages, of Cruyff and Krul,
Passarella and Kempes,
of that ball from de Boer
and Bergkamp's balletic beauty.
An album of memories,
and tonight,
an abundance of scrumptious possibilities.
- [referee blows whistle]
- [crowd roaring]
It just feels special.
De Paul Messi.
Lionel Messi!
Got under it.
In his own time, when he wants,
Lionel Messi driving at the heart of them,
and getting tipped over.
[Messi in Spanish]
It was a really tough game.
We were facing a great team.
It's not only up to me.
We have a very good group of players.
They know how to dig in and fight
when the going gets tough.
[Allister] Obviously if we have
to protect Leo, we do.
[commentator 1 in English]
Craftily taken by Messi
And fiddling through a beautiful pass!
[crowd roaring]
Messi cut them in half!
And the rest was simple!
[commentator 2] Well, it's one
of the passes of the World Cup so far.
The magic man Messi.
[commentator 1] Álvarez, he's strong.
He's having to be strong,
shoulder to shoulder with Dumfries.
[commentator 2] It's a good battle.
[commentator 1 chuckles] Wout Weghorst
has talked himself into trouble.
[referee blows whistle]
The Albiceleste shine!
[referee blows whistle]
[commentator 1] Whenever Argentina have
previously won a World Cup quarter-final,
they have gone on also
to win their semi-final
and to march therefore into the final.
That is an omen to which they will cling,
if this is a lead to which they cling.
It's down to those in orange
to erase that lead.
Acuña, driving beyond Dumfries
who challenged Penalty!
[commentator 3 in Spanish]
Attention everyone!
Messi's approaching the ball.
The left-footed shot is coming up!
He's not taking much of a run-up.
[commentator 1] Lionel Messi
[commentator 3] Goal for Argentina!
It's Messi with a penalty!
[commentator 1 in English]
Step by step, they draw closer
to the ultimate fulfilment.
Dutch noses have been put out of joint.
It's as fiery and heated on the bench
as it is on the grass.
Wout Weghorst is introduced
in place of Memphis Depay.
[Weghorst] As a human being,
as a footballer player,
I've been fighting for this my whole life.
When I was a little kid playing football
in the house with my brothers,
you're dreaming of playing a World Cup.
My role was clear, I was a substitute
and I was more of a Plan B,
so I was already
a little bit disappointed about this.
But I always had the belief
there will be coming one moment
and then I will be needed
and I can make the difference.
[commentator 3 in Spanish] Looking for
Weghorst again, cross comes into the box
- Goal!
- [crowd roaring]
[commentator 1 in English]
The Dutch have dug back in!
It's still retrievable!
[Weghorst] I played with a lot of emotions
on the pitch, not giving up.
I was fighting with everybody,
doesn't matter who it was.
[blows whistle]
I was trying to get this belief back
and fighting back and
Yeah, in my opinion
it was maybe a good thing
to take on the big leader of them,
to show them it's not over yet.
[Messi in Spanish] Those are very
nerve-racking moments,
everything happens very quickly.
You don't have time
to think about anything,
you just react in the moment.
[commentator 2 in English]
This should be some finish to the match!
[commentator 1] Otamendi
Taken back by de Jong
Aké
Who's sent crashing
over the outrushing Argentine.
Leandro Paredes
clouted the ball at the bench,
and there is a wave of Dutch orange
as they rose as one to confront him.
[commentator 2] Been simmering,
hasn't it, tempers
And when you smash the ball
into the dugout like that,
the reaction from those subs
is inevitable.
[commentator 1] Frenkie de Jong,
seconds are running out
- Up into the air by Paredes
- [whistle blows]
Oh, that looks like a foul!
That is gonna be a free-kick.
[commentator 2] What a silly challenge.
What a silly challenge.
[commentator 1] In minute one hundred.
[commentator 3 in Spanish]
Time so nearly up.
I think it was an unnecessary foul.
[commentator 1 in English]
On the edge of tears,
Netherlands on the edge of elimination.
One kick of the ball
Eyes on the prize,
and the prize is big, to stay alive.
2-2! Extraordinary!
101 minutes!
[commentator 3 in Spanish] Goal for
Netherlands. Koopmeiners with set-piece.
And it's an equalizer Unbelievable!
[commentator 1] Wout Weghorst,
and the immediate future is still
is still orange!
[commentator 2] And the striker
that's done so well since coming on
showed nimble, neat footwork there
when it mattered most.
[Weghorst] That was by far
the most special moment of my career
because it was actually the free-kick
I brought in to the national team.
To do that for your country,
bring us back in the game,
bring us back in having a dream
to get the World Cup.
Yeah, that was really special.
[commentator 1]
And on Wout Weghorst's face
is emblazoned
the wide-eyed thrill of a man
who is having the night of his life.
[referee blows whistle]
That's it for now,
but of course there will be more.
There is fury on one side,
frenzied thrill on the other.
There is confrontation,
pushing and shoving.
Tetchiness.
And so we head to penalties.
Virgil van Dijk, leading from
the front for the Netherlands.
[Emiliano in Spanish] I wasn't well known
when I started playing for Argentina.
I came to England
to help my family financially.
I was getting better match by match.
Now's the time to help my country.
I mean, I can't let them down.
[commentator 1 in English]
The tension actually is painful.
[Emiliano in Spanish]
I never saw it as pressure,
but rather as a job, a duty.
I have to save one or two.
[commentator 1 in English]
That is a great save from Emi Martínez!
[yells indistinctly]
[commentator 3 in Spanish] Martínez
saved it, ladies and gentlemen!
Now it's Messi's turn.
[commentator 1 in English]
If this goes against Argentina,
Messi's kick of the ball
could be his last at a World Cup.
A nation on his shoulders.
[referee blows whistle]
And Messi answers the call.
[commentator 3 in Spanish] Scoring gives
peace of mind to his teammates.
[commentator 4] Martínez as composed
when he saved the first penalty,
as Leo was when he took Argentina's
first penalty.
[Emiliano] Saving the first penalty
is like marking your territory.
Scoring won't be easy for them,
particularly the second penalty.
[crowd whistling]
[commentator 1 in English]
Oh, another great get by Martínez!
[crowd roaring]
Why wouldn't he dance?
Paredes, thumps it! And means it!
Teun Koopmeiners
[commentator 3 in Spanish]
So far Emiliano Martínez
has been outstanding.
[commentator 1 in English] And the light
is not yet out on the Netherlands.
Montiel Beauty.
They're on the cusp.
[commentator 3 in Spanish]
Weghorst is up next.
[Weghorst] As a football player,
there's not a single moment
with more pressure on it
than this single take.
You have to be totally trusting
in what you're doing.
[commentator 1]
And Weghorst does score.
A little bit of aggro.
And to take what could be
the telling penalty for Argentina,
Enzo Fernández,
has dragged it wide.
[commentator 4 in Spanish] He hit it
too hard and too far to the side.
[commentator 1 in English]
De Jong rolls it in, with poise.
The tenth penalty of ten.
[commentator 3 in Spanish] Argentina,
at Lautaro Martínez's feet.
[referee blows whistle]
[commentator 1 in English]
Argentina march on!
[commentator 3 in Spanish]
Lautaro Martínez did it!
The only one who went
to celebrate with Emiliano Martínez,
who's on the ground, was Messi.
Messi with Emiliano.
[commentator 1 in English]
The Dutch dumbfounded,
confounded and heading home.
[commentator 2] Not much
shaking of hands down there.
There's plenty of players
having to be separated.
[Weghorst] It's over.
I felt totally broken.
The biggest thing you can achieve
as a football player
was only two games more after this one.
And Yeah.
I'm not sure if you're ever gonna
come this close again.
Go away.
I was just emotional. I was I was crying.
Van Gaal was there for me
because he saw what it meant.
It was also his dream.
We were saying to each other
it could have been so special.
I was waiting for him
to give him a hand, yeah?
He's doing like this.
That's not respectful.
[bleeping]
[Messi in Spanish] Go home! Go home!
[reporter 1] What made you so angry?
You're not usually that upset.
The player in the number 19 shirt
kept provoking us,
bumping into us,
and saying things from the start.
I don't think that kind of behavior
belongs in football.
The truth is that
I was really angry before the match
because a coach like van Gaal,
with his experience,
the way he spoke, his lack of respect,
I felt that
that he had disrespected
the Argentina team.
[indistinct chatter]
[reporter in Dutch] Might be early,
but what do you feel you leave behind
now that your time
as Dutch national coach is over?
How do you feel?
Well, at least we leave
a very good group behind.
I had a great time with all of them.
It hurts unbelievably
how we went out again.
Those guys fought to the end,
and now we've given it our all,
and I'm very proud.
Thank you.
[commentator 1 in English]
Just four teams remain
with a chance of lifting the World Cup,
- [Deschamps in French] Good?
- [man] Good.
[woman speaks indistinctly]
In English? Okay.
- [man 2 in Spanish] Ready?
- [Scaloni] I am.
- [man 3 in Croatian] May we?
- We may.
[woman] Describe your feelings
after qualifying for the semi-finals.
Well
[cheering]
It's the first time
I've ever cried at a football match.
But it didn't last long.
Even in my wildest dreams, leading
my country to a World Cup semi-final,
being amongst
the best four teams in the world
It's extraordinary!
Today, I'm only thinking about
the semi-final against Morocco.
Hats off to you guys, honestly!
We're in the semi-final. It's huge!
[all cheering]
[Deschamps] I am calm, serene.
I am extremely happy to be here.
But there are two of us
who want it, and well,
only one of us will be happy at the end.
The objective is to knock out France.
[man 4 in Spanish] So, Leo
It was an incredibly tough match
against Holland.
We saw a side of the captain
that many people didn't know.
[Scaloni] When he feels
that someone attacks him,
you risk seeing him
like he was the other day,
winning the match
and playing the way he did.
The next game against Croatia
will probably be just as long.
The team's manager
is also their biggest icon.
[in Croatian] To be realistic,
not many expected us to get this far.
We've managed to get the most
out of this team and this World Cup.
Luka helped me a lot.
Without him, none of this
would have happened.
Getting knocked out early
is easier to process.
There's not much to regret,
you get over it.
But when you lose in the semi-finals,
it leaves a bitter taste.
[indistinct conversation]
[Walid in French]
This will be the toughest challenge.
If we achieve this feat,
it will be a huge upset.
Listen, it made me laugh.
This guy told me,
"We're going back to the 8th century."
"They're taking back Portugal
and Spain."
- And now it's time for France.
- Right.
You know that we won it four years ago.
Can we win again?
Yes, maybe.
[cheering]
Well, the secret is to adapt.
As you all know,
we have many injured players.
[groans]
[in English] That's the same side
I had my problem.
[in French] In the knockout stage,
I had an injury to my thigh.
If you're in pain,
you need to learn how to get over it
if you want to play.
But you can't become
a hindrance to the team.
To play or not to play?
You're going to think I'm mad, but no.
That's not how we should think.
We want to go to the final
and win the World Cup.
This isn't just talk.
[in Croatian] Everyone's allowed
to have their own dream.
[cheering]
I think that four years ago,
the Croatian team
made it possible
for small countries to dream.
[Modrić] We believe in ourselves.
It would be amazing to achieve
something like that again,
for me to feel it once again
with the national team.
[in Spanish] How are you?
Are you all right?
Well, we're not there yet.
You've almost achieved an incredible goal.
What will you say to your players?
I'd just say, "Thank you."
There's nothing else to say.
I think any Argentinian
would say the same.
They should be proud.
We should enjoy this moment.
I'm enjoying it in my own way.
They are proud.
[Martinez] Thank you. Good luck!
[man] There goes Argentina's manager.
He's visibly moved.
It'd impossible not to be moved.
[Deschamps in French]
Tonight is your night!
It's now, not later!
It's now!
Guys, watch out for stupid fouls.
In the area, in the penalty area.
Remember what happened during
the last game. We almost lost it.
No stupid fouls.
We keep standing. We're patient.
Two finals in a row.
We can't miss out on history!
Let's go, guys!
[coach] Have a great match.
[in Arabic] Believe!
[Walid in French] We're not content
to be the only team from Africa
to get to the World Cup semi-finals.
We've got to go further.
We might not get this chance again.
- Hey, good luck.
- Good luck.
[in Arabic] Believe!
[Saïss in French]
There are a lot of emotions
and I personally want to do well
and continue this great adventure.
[cheering]
The coach was worried
because I came out injured.
Come on! Come on!
[French commentator] What a night
we're going to witness.
First meeting in a major tournament.
And what a match
between France and Morocco.
[cheering]
[commentator 1 in English]
This is the Lusail Stadium.
One of Argentina or Croatia
will reserve themselves a place
in Sunday's World Cup final.
[Dalić in Croatian] Boys,
we are playing for the final.
There is no greater motivation than this.
Play with your head and your heart.
Play calmly and smartly today,
play our game.
But also, be ready to fight
every second of the game.
Be as brave as we've been so far.
Come on! Above all
Croatia!
[Dalić] We're playing against
a great team in Argentina,
led by Leo Messi.
They're certainly dealing
with more pressure
than Croatia right now.
[commentator 1 in English]
Messi and Modrić,
flames which never seem to flicker,
maestro of their nation's generation,
each staring
into the eye of his final chance.
[commentator 2] For Didier Deschamps,
the French coach,
he'll be looking for the same sort of
start as their game against England.
As for Morocco,
can they frighten the world champions
in these early exchanges?
[referee blows whistle]
[commentator 1] Saïss' influence is key.
This is Amrabat.
He epitomizes the ever-burning desire
Morocco demonstrated and had to show
every step of the way to this semi-final.
Messi No one defter
through congestion than him.
Modrić
Completely done by Modrić.
[Scaloni in Spanish] It's a pleasure
for me to watch Modrić.
Anyone who loves football
wants to see those players on the pitch.
[Walid in French] For the semi-final,
Romain and I spoke a lot.
If he could even be just 80% fit,
it was a risk I was willing to take.
[commentator 2 in English] They've got
problems at the back, Morocco.
They're keeping their fingers crossed.
[French commentator]
Griezmann's in the box
Mbappé shoots! It's blocked
Another shot comes in
Again, again!
It's dropping for Hernandez! It's a goal!
It's France's goal!
The goal stands!
Théo Hernandez, right at the start,
brings the stadium alive.
[commentator 1 in English]
Messi and Álvarez combining
Here is Julián Álvarez!
The referee has pointed at the spot!
[Spanish commentator] It's a penalty
for Argentina in the 32nd minute.
[commentator 1] Lionel Messi
stares into the eyes
of another World Cup final!
[crowd roaring]
Olé, olé, olé! I love you more
And more each day! ♪
[commentator 1] For every romantic thought
on behalf of Lionel Messi,
there must be a reflection
on behalf of Luka Modrić.
[commentator 2] Challenges are flying in
as you would expect.
[commentator 1]
Giroud's got in behind Saïss here
Olivier Giroud!
[commentator 2] Watch Romain Saïss,
I think his race is run.
I'm not sure he'll be able to continue.
He can't run.
[commentator 1] This risk
has not reaped reward
and Romain Saïss
makes a reluctant, inevitable exit.
You've got to feel for him.
[Saïss in French]
I said to myself, "It'll be okay."
"It's not that serious."
In that moment, it was hard to take.
[commentator 1 in English]
Messi looks to nick it clear,
and nick it clear he has.
And Álvarez is on his way!
[Spanish commentator]
Molina looking for the ball in the box!
Here come Argentina!
The rebound falls to him!
- Goal!
- [crowd roaring]
[commentator 1 in English] Sensational!
What a big goal
that might be for Argentina!
Wind in the Moroccan sails.
[commentator 2]
En-Nesyri dancing in there
Dari didn't quite get there
[commentator 1] And acrobatic!
Off the post from El Yamiq,
the center back!
[Walid in French] There was
a good reaction after the goal,
and after Romain's substitution.
At half-time,
we felt we weren't far off.
[commentator 2 in English]
What an end to the half
for Morocco after a nightmare start.
[commentator 1] Half time.
Argentina are most of the way
to the World Cup final.
It's embarrassing. It was obvious.
Obvious you will do this.
Obvious!
[Deschamps in French] Guys, listen to me.
We're doing well,
but we have to do even better,
especially towards their end
so that we can find some gaps.
[player in Spanish]
Come on lads, let's go!
Don't slow down, all right?
Same as before!
[referee blows whistle]
[Spanish commentator]
Messi attacking down the wing,
he turns, Gvardiol is chasing him,
Messi keeps going on his own
Álvarez is already in the box!
This or that way? Messi's tricking him!
Messi into the box!
There goes Messi! Goal!
[commentator 1 in English] Messi again
with the marvelous mischief!
Julián Álvarez with the finish,
and Argentina, all but in the final!
[Spanish commentator] Superb!
What an incredible goal!
What a great goal by Julián Álvarez!
And what a run by Messi!
[French commentator] Fofana finds Mbappé,
who succeeds in getting rid of his marker
He passes to Marcus Thuram
who gets into the box.
Marcus Thuram passes back to Mbappé.
Mbappé in the box,
Mbappé slaloming Mbappé who strikes!
And the goal! The second goal for France!
It's a goal for Kolo Muani!
Kolo Muani scores!
It's unbelievable! It's unbelievable!
It's a goal for Kolo Muani!
This indestructible French team lead 2-0!
[commentator 1 in English] The substitute,
Ezzalzouli It's an amazing run here!
And Ezzalzouli!
And Ounahi! Oh!
And Hamdallah can't turn it in!
Well, still they carry the fight
Still they do not feel that
they are beaten.
[commentator 2] This is a poignant moment.
Croatia says goodbye to perhaps
its greatest player ever.
[commentator 1] Yeah. Croatia fans
have a chance to applaud their hero.
What a career he's had.
[referee blows whistle]
[commentator 1] Argentina will play
the World Cup final
as Luka Modrić says farewell.
[Modrić in Croatian] It's what you dream
about as a boy.
Playing for Croatia
It's an indescribable kind of love.
[referee blows whistle]
[commentator 1 in English] They still have
their hands on the trophy!
But Walid Regragui and Morocco
have written really
the story of the tournament.
[in French] We put Morocco on the map.
We never gave up.
We showed that Moroccans
were able to achieve things like this.
[Saïss] We gave people hope.
I think it went beyond football.
We showed people that
anything is possible.
That was the real victory in the end.
[cheering]
Thanks. I have
a press conference later, but that's fine!
What can I say, guys?
Once again, well done!
You're exactly where you wanted to be.
This journey isn't a bed of roses.
But you deserve it, guys.
All of you, okay?
Bravo to you all!
[players yelling indistinctly]
[Spanish commentator]
Ladies and gentlemen,
Argentina are through to the final!
[commentator 1 in English] Messi will play
in the ultimate game
but it is an Argentina team,
an Argentinian nation which celebrates.
At Maracaná
The final against Brazil ♪
[exclaims]
[Scaloni] No player in the world
deserves to be champion more than him.
And we'll give everything
to lift the World Cup with him.
We'll give it our all.
[indistinct chatter]
I just want to say,
with the World Cup final coming up,
and while we all want you to win it,
I want to tell you,
regardless of what happens,
there's something
no one can take away from you.
You've touched every Argentinian's heart.
I mean it.
There isn't a single kid
without your shirt, the original,
a replica, or an imaginary shirt.
I hope you carry that in your heart,
because it's more important
than the World Cup.
And you already have that.
So, thank you, captain.
Well, thank you so much.
I truly felt the love
of the people all this time.
We all want to be champions
and we want things to go our way
and finish on a high note.
[commentator 1] This is the final
of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
[French commentator] Ladies
and gentlemen, France against Argentina.
[commentator 1 in English]
Was it written? Can it be?
[French commentator] Everything is
possible. We could become world champions.
[commentator 1 in English]
France again, or Argentina at last?
[Spanish commentator]
The emotion is incredible.
[Messi in Spanish]
I saw it there, gleaming.
The trophy was calling out to me.
[commentator 1 in English] This is epic!
[Mbappé in French]
My first obsession is winning.
They're playing
a fucking good World Cup final!
And we're not!
[commentator 1 in English]
One of the greatest football matches
that has ever been played.