The Albiceleste have recovered superbly from their opening defeat to Saudi Arabia, with Messi inspiring them past Australia in the Round of 16 to set up showdown with the Dutch in Al Rayyan.
Louis van Gaal’s Netherlands side are unbeaten in Qatar, as they aim for a first final appearance since 2010. First, though, is a potentially iconic clash with Argentina.
The two sides have been regular World Cup rivals down the years, with five meetings on the biggest international stage since 1974.
MORE: Netherlands vs. Argentina World Cup time, live stream, TV channel, lineups, odds
Netherlands vs Argentina history
This fixture has featured five times in the last 12 World Cups, as an eagerly anticipated Europe vs South America showdown, with some of the biggest names going head-to-head for their national sides.
Johan Cruyff, Mario Kempes and Dennis Bergkamp have provided some historic moments in these matchups, with the latter scoring one of the greatest ever World Cups goals in 1998.
However, the most famous meeting between the two nations came in Argentina’s 3-1 1978 final win over the Netherlands in Buenos Aires, to clinch a first World Cup title.
Recent meetings have continued that pattern, with Argentina edging out a penalty shootout win over Van Gaal’s previous Dutch team in the 2014 semi-finals.
Netherlands vs Argentina head-to-head
The last two World Cup meetings, in 2006 and 2014, failed to produce a goal, with Bergkamp’s 1998 winner the last competitive goal scored in this fixture.
Kempes and Cruyff are the two top scorers in World Cup meetings between the teams, with two each.
*Argentina won the 2014 World Cup semifinals on penalties.
Netherlands vs Argentina last match
The 2014 World Cup semifinal was far from a classic encounter, as Alejandro Sabella’s Argentina scrapped out 120 minutes of limited chances against the Netherlands.
Javier Mascherano’s incredible tackle on Arjen Robben — that he later admitted left him with a “torn anus” — was the most memorable moment in Sao Paulo as spot-kicks loomed.
Messi set the tone with the opening penalty, before Sergio Romero’s save from Wesley Sneijder sealed their final spot, but Argentina’s tournament ended in frustration as Germany claimed the 2014 title.
Netherlands vs Argentina World Cup odds
Despite having better overall World Cup form in Qatar, the Netherlands are just behind Argentina as favourites in this tie, as Messi continues his push for glory.
Successive 0-0 draws in their last two meetings hint at this game not being full of goals, with the potential for extra time in Al Rayyan.
Odds via BetMGM (USA), Sports Interaction (Canada), SkyBet (UK), and Ladbrokes (Australia).
A reminder: All moneyline bets in soccer are for regulation time only, regardless of competition. If the match requires a winner and goes to extra-time or penalties, a moneyline bet of a regulation draw is successful and the rest of play does not factor in.
