The quarter-final matches have fully commenced, with the first game featuring Messi's match.
Messi's team, Argentina, has also been on fire in this World Cup, with Messi having already scored four goals and provided three assists. Argentina's opponent in this match is the European powerhouse, the Netherlands.
As the first quarter-final duel, this match has attracted significant attention from many fans.
Messi's personal influence is comparable to Cao Baiming's, and at times, even surpasses it.
Every match Argentina has played in this World Cup so far has seen a full stadium, regardless of the stadium's size or capacity.
Even exorbitant ticket prices couldn't dampen the fans' enthusiasm.
Almost every Argentina match felt like a home game, as the fans by the sidelines were overwhelmingly Argentinian, chanting Messi's name.
This time was no different!
Even before the match began, the entire stadium was abuzz. Most fans were wearing blue and white jerseys, while Dutch fans, despite being closer, occupied only a small section of the stadium.
The home advantage was palpable; the rest was up to the players' performance!
As the players entered, Messi's eyes shone with confidence. His opponents were not considered strong, and he had already devised a thousand ways to break through their defense, waiting for the on-field situation to present him with an opportunity.
All eyes were on this man's face. If he could win this World Cup, he would surpass Pelé and become the new king of football, a king in a league of his own!
Argentina's squad could be described as luxurious, even extravagant!
The defense featured the warriors Lisandro Martínez, Otamendi, and Romero; the midfield had the brave De Paul and Paredes, as well as the angelic Di María.
The forward line saw Messi paired with La Pulga as twin strikers.
The goalkeeper was the super guardian Martínez, affectionately nicknamed "Father" by the fans. As long as he guarded the goal, the players would always have the confidence to attack!
Argentina's playing style had a touch of Barcelona's possession-based football, yet it was different, with an even higher emphasis on offense.
But today, they faced another super team, the Netherlands!
The match kicked off amidst the anticipation of hundreds of millions of fans!
Cao Baiming also chose to watch the live broadcast of this match. During a break from training, many people opted to watch this game, including head coach Li Gang.
Watching the other quarter-final matches of the World Cup could provide useful information and familiarize them with the playing field.
Argentina kicked off! Messi began to stroll towards the front line.
Cao Baiming entered a small room, poured himself a small glass of wine, accompanied by some simple desserts, and placed the screen on a stand on his desk.
Soon, a crisis emerged.
In the twentieth minute, the Netherlands, utilizing their height advantage, managed to break through Martínez's goal with aerial bombardment!
The natural physical disparity was undeniable; they were helpless against such relentless aerial attacks!
But fortunately, Argentina did not lose morale, especially with a phenomenon like Messi on the field.
Cao Baiming let out a cold laugh, not overly concerned, as he knew the score would be equalized.
On the field, despite being behind, Messi quickly opened up the game with an incredible pass, and Molina, who followed up, easily scored!
The commentators began to praise him effusively, turning into ardent Messi fans.
"That pass from Messi was like having the eye of God, a stroke of genius!"
"If anyone else in the world tried to make that pass, they wouldn't be able to! The only one who could is Messi!"
"Even if we were watching from God's perspective, we wouldn't have thought of passing the ball like that. Messi's ability is beyond question; he is the one and only in history."
The fans also began to praise him wildly.
Cao Baiming listened to their accolades with a sense of joy, as they were, after all, teammates at their club, and they respected each other.
Who understood Messi's greatness and his strength better than he did? Who said that strong shooting ability meant weak passing ability?
A true king of football was proficient in everything, except perhaps heading.
In this match so far, Messi had delivered numerous jaw-dropping passes that were ultimately wasted.
The pass that led to the recent goal wasn't even his best one yet!
Although they might be rivals in the future, Cao Baiming personally posted on social media to congratulate Messi and express his admiration for his skills.
The first half ended in a draw.
Cao Baiming took the opportunity to have some drinks and chat with friends. When he looked back at the match score again, it had changed from one-one to three-one!!
Argentina had easily overturned the deficit in the second half, scoring two more goals!
The time was already seventy-four minutes, and Cao Baiming regretted missing the goals!
However, at this moment, no one was more excited than him!
Argentina's advancement meant a higher chance of a direct encounter in the future!
However, before that, Messi might face his other club teammate, Henry, first.
Henry's French team had not yet played, but it was almost a certainty that they would advance to the semi-finals; an upset was possible but highly improbable!
It would be interesting if the two of them played against each other first!
The winner would then have the chance to duel with him, the thought of which was quite satisfying!
He wondered which of the two old teammates was more nervous now. When they actually met on the field, not all wishes could be fulfilled; there would always be a loser, someone who would leave the field in tears.
Ultimately, there were no more goals in the match, and Argentina powerfully reversed the game against the Netherlands with a 3-1 score, successfully advancing to the semi-finals!
At first, when the Netherlands scored the first goal, many fans had worried. But no one expected the final outcome to be this way!
Extremely satisfying!!!