Alan Shearer
Former England striker on BBC Radio 5 Live

Josko Gvardiol has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League which doesn't surprise me. He has been immense in most of the games, he's had to do a lot of defending and work because of the way Croatia play. He's stood up, he's been brave on the ball, strong in the tackle.

He's read the game very well, he is about to face a different task tonight against a guy called Messi. He wouldn't have come up against someone with Messi's ability much before.

That will be fascinating how he handles that, whether he goes in tight, whether he decides to drop off, that all comes down to his reading of the game and the understanding. Certainly up until now, he has been immense in this tournament.

Image source, Getty Images

Wayne Ellis: Hoping for a Croatia win, though expecting 2-0 or 2-1 to Argentina. The Messi love fest got old before the end of the group stages, and their behaviour during and after the QF was a disgrace

Here come the teams. Once we've had a little sing song, we'll get this show under way.

Time to get rid off another nation and send one to the big showdown.

Simon Gleave
Head of sports analysis, Nielsen Gracenote

Gracenote's number two ranked team Argentina takes on the number 12 Croatia in the first of this year's World Cup semi-finals. Croatia have risen 10 places on our ranking, external in 2022. Argentina's group phase defeat by Saudi Arabia is their only loss in their last 41 matches, dating back to July 2019. Croatia have lost once in their last 21 matches since going out after extra time against Spain at the last European Championships. Argentina are still the big favourites to progress according to Gracenote which gives them 66% chance of reaching the final with Croatia on 34%.

Image source, Getty Images

Carl Anka: That Argentina midfield feels like Scaloni is preparing for a 120-minute slugfest...

Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport at Lusail Stadium

Stars are out on the pitch but there's some big hitters watching on too.

Former England captain David Beckham is in the posh seats - no pun intended - while Brazil legends Ronaldinho, Roberto Carlos and Cafu were having a natter with Samuel Eto'o in one of the boxes.

Image source, Getty Images

Luka Modric has made the most World Cup appearances (17) and most appearances at major tournaments (30) for Croatia. He’s started all five of their 2022 World Cup matches and could become only the fourth player to start six matches at a World Cup aged 37+, after Brazil’s Nilton Santos in 1962, Italy’s Dino Zoff in 1982 and England’s Peter Shilton in 1990.

Andrew

Pablo Zabaleta
Ex-Man City and Argentina defender on BBC Radio 5 Live

Enzo Fernandez is a really good player. He's only 21, he's been playing really well for Benfica. Obviously when you play well in the World Cup and have been playing well for your club and in the Champions League, it looks like some of the big clubs from Europe and the best leagues are talking about him and looking at him.

Of course he is playing for a big club in Portugal, but I mean what a player he has been for the national team. He started on the bench, scored a really good goal against Mexico, he kept his place in the starting 11, playing well. I've been very impressed with him and I am so happy for him.

I don't want to upset Benfica fans by saying he will go to a big club because Benfica are a big club but some of those players when they play in the Portuguese league, when they have the chance to go to a big club in England, Spain or Italy, sometimes they want to do it, make that step forward in their careers.

Who knows, maybe in January or in the summer but I have been very impressed with him, he's a really good player.

Simon Gleave
Head of sports analysis, Nielsen Gracenote

Argentina have allowed only six shots on target at World Cup 2022, the best of all 32 teams. However, two thirds of those shots on target were scored (by Saudi Arabia and the Netherlands).

In contrast, Croatia have conceded almost four times as many shots on target (22) as Argentina but goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic has been able to generally keep the opposition out.

Livakovic has made 20 saves (excluding his penalty shootout saves. His 87% save percentage is the best of all goalkeepers who have made at least 10 saves.

BBC World Service

Argentina journalist Marcela Mora y Araujo, who travelled to Qatar for the quarter-final win over the Netherlands, on BBC World Service's World Football in Qatar podcast: "Someone did write to me saying that the skies have opened in Buenos Aries, there has been a massive thunderstorm, and Lionel Messi has been possessed by Diego Maradona. I don't actually agree with that.

"I don't agree that Messi is an introverted, shy and reserved good boy. He has been a very different type of leader but he's always got very angry about losing. When he was a child he had tantrums and as recently as the Copa America the players have been speaking about how shy they are. They way he lashed out was so childish, even his choice of insult. It was so mild in its aggression. If Diego had possessed him it would have been really different linguistics.

Andy Cryer
BBC Sport in Qatar

The past and the present.

Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi.

Who is the best? ‘If we win this World Cup, it has to be Messi,” says one Argentina fan.

No pressure then Leo…

Image source, BBC Sport

BBC World Service

Argentina journalist Marcela Mora y Araujo, who travelled to Qatar for the quarter-final win over the Netherlands, on BBC World Service's World Football in Qatar podcast: "It felt like I had been travelling for days but I sort of relaxed a little, before that extraordinary turn of fate. The experience of living the World Cup in Buenos Aires, it has been a frenzy that I can’t possibly over emphasise.

"It was a very fraught game against the Netherlands. There was quite a lot of provocation before and during the game by the Netherlands and suddenly there was an epic presentation of incidents. It was an outpour. It was also about attitudes to football: Louis van Gaal’s tactics and rigid formation, have been experienced by a lot of Argentina players, and also a bit of South America v Europe. There was a pent up and over constrained energy that Messi released. We see that in football and in World Cup tournaments.

"There is an enormous desire for Messi to win the World Cup in Argentina, and I think almost worldwide. People want it for Messi. But, I also think the reason they want it for Messi is because they know what a lovely thing it would be for Messi to win it for Argentina. It is almost “do this for me, and you’ll feel good about yourself”. There is a huge desire that Messi seals his rightful earned place as the world’s greatest.

"There is a lot of acceptance and tolerance for him now so it isn’t like he will have ultimately failed if he doesn’t. Winning the Copa America was a mission accomplished for Argentina."

Sam, Portsmouth

Andy Cryer
BBC Sport in Qatar

The Argentina fans are up for this...

They believe this is their time, they believe this is Lionel Messi's time.

BBC World Service
World Football in Qatar podcast

Image source, Getty Images

Igor Stimac was asked to focus on the Argentina game and what the difference will be to their quarter-final win over Brazil, and how they will deal with the threat of Lionel Messi.

"There will be a small difference to the game against Brazil," said Stimac.

"Now the danger will be coming from Messi and the other day it was coming from the position of Neymar which are different sides (of the pitch). But the team is what’s winning the games.

"The Argentineans are showing great character. They are kind of different to prior tournaments, you can feel their different attitude. They are showing more matureness and it’s going to be more difficult obviously than last time we met in Russia.

"This is not the group stage any more and there is a different Messi there. Even though he is four years older, he is different in the national team shirt this time.

“I don’t think anyone is playing any more with man to man marking. It’s a team that needs to stay focused to cut the distribution of the ball to Messi, that’s a priority and we know which players are mostly passing the ball to him. He will definitely receive a few balls there, then we need to tighten these areas and close them down in the best possible way.”

Chris Bevan
BBC Sport at Lusail Iconic Stadium

Image source, BBC Sport

This isn't the first time Argentina fans have taken over a World Cup, or gone viral with their version of a catchy hit that you can't get out of your head (mainly because of how loud they've sung it in your ear on the Metro).

In 2014, their noisy supporters had also travelled to Brazil in vast numbers and, right from the start of the tournament, they were singing their heart out - to the tune of Bad Moon Rising by Creedence Clearwater Revival - about they would be bossing the hosts 'in their own house', how Messi was going to bring the World Cup home without a fuss, and how Maradona was greater than Pele.

The last bit is obviously still up for debate now, but they were almost right about Messi - they reached the final in Rio (and totally took over the train system there with the above song) before losing to Germany in extra-time.

Eight years on, will they sing their way to the same stage this time?

Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport at Lusail Stadium

Fifa's performance analytics app has proven popular with those competing at the World Cup, with over 400 players downloading the tool.

It measures metrics such as movements with and without the ball, defensive line breaks and pressure on opposition ball carriers.

The extensive analysis means that over 15,000 data points are collected from every game.

Croatia midfielder Luka Modric said:, external "It helps you realise what mistakes you might have made during the game.

“Sometimes similar things or scenarios will happen to you on the pitch in two separate games, so by using this app I can see what I did in that particular moment which was not good and try to correct it for the next game."

Let's see what he has learnt from the quarter-final for his huge game tonight.

Andy Cryer
BBC Sport in Qatar

There is actually a decent pocket of Croatia fans gathering behind one of the goals at Lusail Stadium.

Obviously it will predominantly Argentina fans but looks like Croatia will have a more visible presence than the Dutch did in last round.

Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport at Lusail Stadium

Image source, BBC Sport

No prizes for guessing what the most popular shirt was coming off the metro a couple of hours before kick-off.

Chants of "Messi, Messi, Messi" echoed around the stop out Lusail Stadium.