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Chapter 1: What were the highlights of the recent World Cup matches?
Now, the 2022 finalists finally graced the stage at this year's World Cup last night and overnight with France and Argentina, both registering impressive victories. Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, Sean, with impressive performances. And another big beast, Erling Haaland, also got his World Cup off to a flying start with two goals against Iraq.
For all the latest, I'm joined by Gavin Cooney, sports correspondent with the Irish Times. Gavin, good morning to you.
Morning, David.
How are things? Things are great. We won't be taking a hydration break halfway through this interview because we're a little bit pressed for time. But let's start with Messi. What a performance.
Maybe he's just going to do this forever. Lionel Messi is 39 next week. We had spent all of the Qatar World Cup in November and December 2022 saying that this was his last dance, his last chance to win the World Cup. And here he is back. And for the first time in his amazing career, he scored a hat-trick in a World Cup game. All three goals in Argentina's 3-0 win against Algeria
in the early hours of this morning. He's just astonishing. And maybe, you know, maybe we should stop talking about this potentially being his last one. Maybe he can make the next one in four years' time. He is just majestic.
Yeah. We'll talk about some of the others as well, but you had Messi scoring three goals, you had Mbappe scoring two goals, you had Haaland scoring two goals. So that's all great. But is the opposition up to much?
They're all of a reasonable standard. I mean, Algeria and Argentina were very praiseworthy of Algeria afterwards, but I guess that's in their interest. Definitely with respect to France, I mean, that second half from France and Kylian Mbappe was probably the most impressive 45 minutes from any team or individual in the tournament so far because they were playing Senegal first.
Senegal side that are technically the African champions having won the trophy at least on the pitch in Rabat in Morocco in January and they were a very awkward opponent for France and Senegal but for the width of a post would have been leading that game at half time but France having been stodgy in the first half. were outstanding in the second half.
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Chapter 2: How did Lionel Messi perform in the latest match?
It's hard to know. I mean, when you've got Erling Haaland, you've got a chance to score goals against anybody. They did struggle at times against a fairly poor Iraq side. They've got some quality around Haaland, like Odegaard and so on.
So perhaps they're dark horses, but when you look at Argentina and you look at France, either side of them last night, they'll see the scale of the competition against which they're up against.
Yeah, you mentioned, we were talking about Messi and obviously appearing in six World Cups and you're touting the possibility of a seventh, but let's leave it at six at the moment. That record of six World Cups, assuming Ronaldo plays, 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo for Portugal, will be equaled?
Yeah, exactly. I'm sure Ronaldo is quietly seething about the fixture list that meant that Portugal played after Messi in Argentina, which meant Messi got there ahead of Ronaldo, given Ronaldo seems primarily motivated by eclipsing Lionel Messi. So, as we know, we expected Ronaldo to be suspended for tonight's game against Dior Congo after his red card at the Aviva Stadium against Ireland.
Curiously, FIFA decided to overturn it to allow him to play And despite the fact that Portugal are laden with talent and there are nagging suspicions that it would be a better team without Cristiano Ronaldo, it would be a major, major surprise that even at the age of 41, he wasn't starting this evening.
OK, and is the Democratic Republic of the Congo at 6pm probably not that much of a contest?
No, they needed a playoff to get here in March. They're one of the weaker qualifiers from Africa. Johan Wisse of Newcastle has had a poor season. He's probably the most recognisable face on the Congo side. But no, Portugal are stacked with talent, are among the tournament favourites. And if they don't make easy work of that, then I think their favourites tag should be removed from them.
Right okay another big game at nine o'clock England begin their campaign they're playing Croatia which is not going to be easy and a lot of pressure a lot of scrutiny on the manager.
A lot of scrutiny on the manager Thomas Tuchel the German-born manager former manager of Chelsea has been brought in to replace Gareth Southgate and the only measure of success for Thomas Tuchel is whether he wins this World Cup or not finishing second for England is a
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Chapter 3: What impact does Kylian Mbappe have on the tournament?
I think that's a bit harsh on Declan Rice. I think it's a bit harsh on Jude Bellingham as well, who has worked his way back into favour under Tuchel. and is expected to start tonight. But yeah, I mean, Kane will have been watching on. Kane will want another World Cup golden boot, and he's already behind the eight ball, as it were, with Messi having a hat-trick.
So he'll be coiled and ready to spring into action tonight.
OK, golden boots are important. Pink boots are important too. Why are they wearing pink boots?
I'm not entirely sure. I think it seems to be that this is the Nike boots all in fashion, but they really are general right across the World Cup. And there's no one really rolling their eyes at the idea that pink boots are a notion anymore, given I suppose we're a critical mass here. I mean, I've seen kind of dowdy defenders wearing them, so they're very much in fashion.
Do you have a pair yourself? Would you believe, David, I don't. And obviously, as a hack on the sidelines, I don't have football boots at all.
OK, well, we know what to get you for Christmas. Anyway, that's great. Great to have the catch up. Gavin Cooney, sports correspondent with the Irish Times. Thank you so much. And a reminder that you can watch those games, of course, on RT2. Portugal against the Democratic Republic of the Congo at six o'clock. England against Croatia at nine o'clock.
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