Luis Suarez has heaped praise on Lionel Messi and admitted everyone should stand up to "applaud everything" the Argentine superstar has given to the game.
The 35-year-old moved level with Kylian Mbappe as the top scorer at the Qatar World Cup with five goals after he helped La Albiceleste to a 3-0 win over Croatia on Tuesday. Messi was in excellent form throughout as he grabbed a goal and two assists in a scintillating Argentina performance at the Lusail Stadium.
Julian Alvarez also grabbed a brace for Argentina, who will now face Morocco or France in the final on Sunday evening. But it was Messi who grabbed the headlines for another terrific display and he has since been hailed by pundits and supporters on social media, with many debating who is the 'GOAT' between him and Cristiano Ronaldo.
However, former Barcelona teammate Suarez took to Instagram after the game to laud Messi as he reached his second-ever World Cup final. The first ended in a demoralising 1-0 defeat against Germany in 2014, with Mario Gotze scoring an extra-time winner.
Suarez said: "You don't get tired of showing that you're the best in the world. Let everyone stand up to applaud everything that this boy [Messi] gives to football!"
Meanwhile, Leicester and England midfielder James Maddison revealed his admiration for the Paris Saint-Germain star after admitting he wasn't sure whether he was going to watch the rest of the World Cup. The 26-year-old didn't play a minute for the Three Lions at the tournament before they were eliminated against France on Saturday.
He tweeted: "Wasn't sure whether I was going to watch the rest of the World Cup after we were eliminated… but how can you turn down the opportunity to watch Leo Messi when he can still play to that level at the age of 35. Honestly astonishing."
Jamie Carragher also posted: " #Messi the best there has ever been!"
The World Cup final could be Messi's final game for his country, and the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner was on the verge of tears after celebrating in front of his fans after the game. The former Barcelona winger revealed he was "very emotional".
"Lots of things have gone through my head - it is very emotional. To see these people, the family thought the World Cup was something incredible. And we are where we wanted to be. We started off losing but we asked the people to stay confident with us because we knew.
"This group is crazy, we did it. It makes me think of my family. It’s the best for me. We had tough times but we got the chance to experience something spectacular tonight."
