On June 20th, in the first matchday of the second round of the European Championship group stage, Croatia was held to a 2-2 draw by Albania, losing three points, making their chances of qualifying for the next round precarious. After the match, renowned media personality Li Laoba posted a statement on social media, backing up French forward Kylian Mbappé’s controversial statement: “The World Cup’s value is declining, Croatia, the World Cup runner-up and third-place finisher, is already out of the group stage!”
Previously, French forward Mbappé had publicly stated in an interview: “I think the European Championship is a tougher tournament than the World Cup. If we’re talking about the level of competition, the European Championship is undoubtedly more difficult.” His statement sparked confusion among many players and fans, with Brazilian forward Raphinha and Argentine forward Lionel Messi, both from South American teams, publicly responding to the European player’s statement.
In last night’s European Championship group match, Croatia, boasting a lineup of stars from the top five leagues such as Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic, and Josko Gvardiol, conceded the first goal in the first half and then suffered a draw in the 95th minute. Currently, they are at the bottom of the group with 1 point, a goal difference of -3, and 0 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss in the group stage, making their chances of advancing precarious.
Li Laoba, a media personality who was once a staunch Cristiano Ronaldo fan, has publicly supported Mbappé’s statement on social media, even going so far as to say, “The World Cup’s value is declining, Croatia, the World Cup runner-up and third-place finisher, is already out of the group stage!”
At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Croatia lost to Argentina in the semi-finals and ultimately defeated Morocco 2-1 in the third-place playoff, winning the World Cup third place. The champion that season was Argentina, led by Lionel Messi. In the 2018 World Cup, Croatia advanced all the way to the final, where they lost 2-4 to France, led by Mbappé, and finished as runners-up.
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