Virgil van Dijk says Netherlands are not focusing on just stopping Lionel Messi


“Obviously we know how big a part of their success he has been over the years but it’s not Netherlands versus Messi, it’s Netherlands versus Argentina.”

The clash at Lusail Stadium renews one of the tournament’s great rivalries.

Argentina prevailed when they met in the 1978 final but a stunning late Dennis Bergkamp strike saw the Dutch edge a tight quarter-final in 1998.

The last time they met was in a semi-final eight years ago when an Argentina side captained by Messi won through on penalties.

Van Dijk is ready should progress come down to spot-kicks again.

“We have been practising,” the 31-year-old said. “It doesn’t guarantee in a game, where you play in a full stadium with 80,000 people and there is a semi-final at stake that everything will go the same, but we try to do as much as possible in order to be ready for it.

“Hopefully we won’t come to that stage and we can decide the game before getting to extra time or penalties, but if the time comes we have to be ready for it. We have practised as much as possible.”

Having reached the World Cup final three times, the Netherlands is one of the great footballing nations but the country is yet to lift the trophy.

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Van Dijk said: “It’s a quarter-final, that’s special. There is hunger, there are dreams.

“We know we’re in the quarter-finals and only three games away from something really big. This is our chance.”

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