Max Verstappen believes it is unlikely he will be as dominant in the 2023 Formula One season, with regulations allowing his rivals to be more competitive.
The Red Bull ace bounced back from a slow start to the season to dominate the 2022 campaign, securing a record-breaking 15 wins to finish 146 points ahead of his closest rival, Charles Leclerc.
Verstappen expects a much tougher fight from the likes of Ferrari and Mercedes next year, however, with the recent regulation changes allowing everyone to be "closer together".
"The others are not stupid. And certainly with these rules, which are a bit more restrictive than the previous set of rules, everyone is getting closer together," he told RacingNews365.
"All teams now have an idea of which course to take so yes, I expect smaller differences next year, but that's only good. Of course, I hope that we are still ahead, but that is not at all as obvious as this year."
Red Bull's defence of their two titles will be further impacted by sanctions dished out after being found guilty of breaching Formula One's budget cap, with Verstappen questioning the punishment.
The 25-year-old added: "Probably everyone is more motivated because of this. I personally think it is a heavy punishment for what we have done, but yes, what can we do about it?
"It happened and we will see next year what effect it really has had on us."
The new season begins in Bahrain on March 5, with a record-high 24 races scheduled across the course of the year.
Patrick Mahomes is often the hero for the Kansas City Chiefs, but he heaped praise on their defense after a Week 14 win over the Denver Broncos, in which he threw three interceptions.
Mahomes and the Chiefs improved to 10-3 for the season with a 34-28 win in Denver, which eliminated the 3-10 Broncos from postseason contention.
The Kansas City quarterback recorded his 24th career game with at least 300 passing yards and three touchdown passes, surpassing Dan Marino (23) for the most such games by a player in his first six seasons in NFL history.
His 352-yard effort took Mahomes to 4,160 passing yards on the season. In doing so, he joined Peyton Manning as the only players in NFL history with at least 4,000 passing yards in five of their first six seasons.
But Mahomes, who threw three touchdowns, also produced a trio of turnovers, two of which took place in the second quarter and culminated in Broncos touchdowns that allowed the hosts back into a game they had trailed 27-0.
His third in the fourth quarter gave the Broncos, quarterbacked by Brett Rypien late on after Russell Wilson left the game with a concussion, the chance to take the lead.
But Rypien was intercepted by L'Jarius Sneed on the subsequent drive, allowing Mahomes and the offense to kill the clock and clinch a 14th successive win over Denver.
Asked about his interceptions, Mahomes said: "Just three bad decisions. When you look at them, the first one, I probably just could've taken the easy throw to the outside, and I forced it to [Travis] Kelce.
"The second one, I was just trying to burn it, and he [Patrick Surtain II] made a hell of a play. And the third one was bad-bad just because the situation. We're in field-goal range - especially here in altitude and no one else is open - so [I] just throw the ball away and let [kicker] Harrison [Butker] end the game.
"Luckily for me, the rest of the team stepped up. The defense made a lot of stops in critical moments when we were putting them in some bad situations."
Head coach Andy Reid, though, expressed support for his former MVP quarterback and the aggressive nature of his play that has so often paid dividends for the Chiefs.
"Every quarterback that's played in this league a while has a game like that," said Reid. "The one great thing about him is he kept firing and had a lot of big plays.
"You can't take away the three interceptions, but there sure were some good ones in between those, and it's a great learning experience."
Croatia are "living for the moment" as they prepare for a World Cup semi-final against Lionel Messi's Argentina, so says Borna Sosa.
Zlatko Dalic's team reached the final in Russia four years ago, losing to France, who will play Morocco in the other semi-final in Qatar.
Croatia were not fancied among the favourites to succeed in Qatar but overcame Brazil on penalties to reach the last four for the third time in their history.
Now they face Argentina, with the prospect of knocking both South American giants out of the World Cup - should Croatia do so, they would be the first team since Germany in 2014 to manage it.
Borna Sosa was excellent against Brazil. keeping Raphinha and then Antony quiet down Croatia's left side, and the full-back has every confidence this team can go the distance.
"Of course. Now, everything is possible," he said. "We are very dangerous like we showed. If it comes to penalties, I think everybody will have in their heads that we've won many, many times.
"The last World Cup, we were second. We are coming with a new squad with 17 and 18-year-old players, and we are showing that we have a lot of quality in our country.
"We have only four million people and we are showing a lot of good results for many years. That's why I'm proud of the whole nation because we are really living for this moment.
"This is our biggest strength as a team - to fight together. We do not have stars in the team who don't want to run or defend.
"We are really showing a lot of respect to the game and we are trying to give everything on the pitch."
It was Argentina's continental rivals Brazil that had become renowned for their dancing at this tournament.
Lionel Scaloni, though, wants his team to "keep dancing" as they bid for a place in the showpiece on December 18.
He said: "It's an objective. Now that we're dancing, we have to keep dancing.
"We'd like to continue, with all the respect we have to have with Croatia. Let's hope we live up to it."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Argentina – Lionel Messi
Messi, likely playing at his final World Cup, is leading the charge for Argentina as he looks to add the trophy to his collection.
The 35-year-old has both scored and assisted a goal in three different World Cup matches, including two at this year's tournament (vs Mexico and Netherlands).
Since 1966, no player has ever done so in four separate games.
Croatia – Marcelo Brozovic
Marcelo Brozovic has been excellent as a deep-lying playmaker for Croatia, and the Inter midfielder might well be crucial to stopping Messi.
If Brozovic can block off the central space and force Argentina wide, then they might just be able to limit Messi's influence.
PREDICTION
This is the third World Cup meeting between Argentina and Croatia, and first in the knockout stages. Argentina won 1-0 in 1998, before Croatia's 3-0 win in the 2018 edition in Russia.
Opta makes Argentina the favourites (55.8 per cent), with Croatia given a 17.9 per cent chance of winning.
Eight of Croatia's last nine World Cup knockout matches have gone to extra-time, however, so do not be surprised if this match is drawn over 90 minutes, or even 120.
Jost Capito is stepping down as the principal of Williams, the team announced on Monday.
Capito had been in the position for two years having initially joined the team as CEO in December 2020.
The 64-year-old leaves his role after Williams finished bottom of the constructors' championship standings in 2022, having now done so four times in the last five years.
In Williams' announcement, Capito said: "It has been a huge privilege to lead Williams Racing for the last two seasons and to lay the foundations for the turnaround of this great team. I look forward to watching the team as it continues on its path to future success."
Williams become the second team in Formula One to head into 2023 without a team principal appointed, after Ferrari announced in November that Mattia Binotto was to step down at the end of the year.
It is rumoured Sauber's Frederic Vasseur could soon be the third team principal to leave his job, amid speculation he could replace Binotto at Ferrari.
Brock Purdy and his family enjoyed a special moment after his stunning performance in his first start for the San Francisco 49ers, which saw him beat Tom Brady in a blowout 35-7 victory.
Purdy impressed when pressed into action in relief of the injured Jimmy Garoppolo last week, helping the Niners to a 33-17 defeat of the Miami Dolphins.
His second act was even more impressive, Purdy completing 16 of his 21 passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for another score.
The seventh-round rookie, the final pick in this year's draft, had the Levi's Stadium crowd in the palm of his hand as the Niners brushed aside the Bucs to move to 9-4.
They chanted his name as the 49ers took complete command in a remarkable first half. His family had prime seats for the occasion, having originally bought tickets before the Garoppolo injury to see Brady play, and the moment was too much for his father, who was pictured in tears as he watched his son make history.
Purdy became the first quarterback to beat seven-time Super Bowl champion Brady in his first start, and was quick to embrace his family as he left the field.
He told his post-game press conference: "I saw them right after the game and, you know, the emotions on their face and just the way they look down at me from up on the railing, it just means a lot because just throughout my whole life, the ups and downs of playing quarterback in general, high school and college, they're the people at home that just believe in you and they always see the best in you.
"And so, they've believed in me even though I was the last draft pick and all that kind of stuff.
"They've always been telling me you're good enough and we know that you can do it. And so, to see them after that performance meant a lot to me and so very blessed to have them as my family."
Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan will have no shortage of belief in Purdy, who had an interception negated by a penalty prior to his second touchdown pass, after their destruction of the Bucs.
"I think he did an awesome job. I think all you guys saw that, but he made a ton of plays," said Shanahan. "Made the plays that were there, made some plays that weren't there.
"He did a great job in the pocket. Had one mistake there, he was fortunate that we got that one back.
"He didn't hesitate. I think he threw a touchdown the next play, which was really cool, but it's really impressive how he played and I thought it was similar to the week before.
"They [the Bucs] mix in a lot of pressures, but they do that in every game. Some are to stop the run, some are to come after the quarterback. They mixed up a lot of zone coverages too, so there was no real theme of the day.
"They mixed up a bunch of stuff and he had to go against everything, so he did a good job with the variety of things he saw."
Purdy did suffer an oblique injury, but that was not the reason he was eventually withdrawn from a lopsided game. The 49ers visit the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday with a chance to clinch the NFC West title.
"We'll see how it goes this week," Purdy said of the injury. "Just felt a little tight at the end, just from taking some hits.
"But honestly man, like if I needed to play throughout the rest of the game, I definitely would have. So, I'm going to get some treatment on it and be ready to roll."
Fabio Quartararo has suffered a broken hand after crashing during a motocross training session on Sunday.
The 2021 MotoGP champion revealed he did not require surgery on damage done to his left hand.
He tweeted: "Yesterday I had a crash during my motocross training and I suffer a little fracture on my left hand. No surgery needed, time to recover."
It is another blow for Quartararo after he was unable to retain his title in the premier class this year.
The Frenchman finished second in the standings behind Francesco Bagnaia, who was crowned champion at the season-ending Valencia Grand Prix.
Monster Energy Yamaha rider Quartararo was 17 points adrift of the Italian.
Testing for the 2023 season gets under way in Sepang on February 5, with the first race coming in Portugal on March 26.
Ash Barty is adamant she "absolutely fulfilled every ounce" of her tennis aspirations following her shock retirement earlier this year.
The three-time grand slam winner was at the peak of her powers when, in March, she made the surprise decision to call time on her tennis career at the age of 26.
The former world number one and reigning Australian Open champion later revealed to friend and former player Casey Dellacqua that she was 'spent' and no longer had the 'physical drive' or 'emotional want'.
Following her triumph at Melbourne Park, making her the first home women's singles champion since Chris O'Neil in 1978, Barty became the first player to win the Newcombe Medal on five occasions.
She maintained her record of having won the award, the highest individual honour in Australian tennis, every year since it was first presented in 2017.
"This has obviously been a very big year in my career and in my life," said Barty, who beat Wimbledon runner-up Nick Kyrgios, US Open mixed doubles champion Storm Hunter, Ajla Tomljanovic and Alex De Minaur to the accolade.
"We've had exceptional change, we've had an amazing year of celebrating a journey of not only myself, but my team, and there is so much to be proud of.
"I stand here very proudly knowing that I absolutely fulfilled every ounce that I could to this beautiful sport that brought me so much more than I could have ever dreamt."
Shaq Thompson feels the Carolina Panthers' backing of interim head coach Steve Wilks is proving key following Sunday's 30-24 victory over the Seattle Seahawks.
Wilks took charge of the team following the axing of Matt Rhule after a 1-4 start to the season and has had a dramatic stint in charge of the team.
After trading away star running back Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers before the deadline and then releasing Baker Mayfield last week, the Panthers have had a turbulent spell of change.
But, sitting 4-4 under Wills, they are making an unlikely push for the playoffs after their win in Seattle.
Wilks is receiving a lot of support in his bid to land the head coach job on a permanent basis and linebacker Thompson has made it clear the players are in his corner.
"We ride behind Wilks," he told the team's website after the Panthers forced Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith into two interceptions.
"He came in here, he's a true alpha, he's a true leader, and guys follow behind him. He's done amazing. Look what we've been going through."
Victory in Seattle put the Panthers just one game behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South, with Thompson believing the team's bye week provided a push to secure the win.
"Once we had that first day of practice, we knew what type of team we were going to be [in this game]," he added.
"We talk about playoff mentality, and I told them boys last night, I talked to the team, I said, 'If you want to be a playoff team, these are the games you got to win — in these environments'.
"And these guys showed up, they played, we created turnovers and got the offense the ball back in great field position."
Meanwhile, the Seahawks endured their third defeat in four games, having won four in a row prior to that streak, with head coach Pete Carroll disappointed in the performances against sides who sit under .500 this season.
"It's the manner [of the loss]," he said after the game. "This really happened on the ground.
"I'm really disappointed in that because I pride myself in thinking we can scheme our way into all kinds of good things to offset that, and I've got to do better."
The Seahawks face a tough end to the regular season, facing division rivals the 49ers in Week 15 before tackling AFC top-seed contenders the Kansas City Chiefs, then bringing the season to a close against the New York Jets and Los Angeles Rams.
Carolina, meanwhile, will next host the Pittsburgh Steelers, who also hold a 5-8 record.
There should be little argument where Lionel Messi stands among the pantheon of greats.
Whether he is the greatest of all time (GOAT, as the cool kids say) or just one of the very best to ever play the beautiful game, as if that wasn't enough – well, that debate will probably go on forever.
Winning the World Cup, or so far failing to do so in Messi's case, is what has been widely used by some to insist the Barcelona great cannot be considered as the best ever.
So, at what the 35-year-old has said will be his final World Cup, what more of a fitting way to bow out than to lead Argentina's charge to success.
Messi is certainly leading the charge, too. He seems a man possessed, single-handedly dragging Lionel Scaloni's side through against Australia in the last 16 before showing his aggressive side in the penalty shoot-out victory over the Netherlands, having set up one and scored the other of Argentina's two goals in regulation time.
While the world waits for Messi to finally clinch the trophy, another evergreen star in the supposed twilight of his career is still shining bright.
Luka Modric's Croatia team were not fancied to repeat their efforts of four years ago, when they made the final in Russia only to lose to France.
Yet after overcoming favourites Brazil on penalties, it is Croatia and Modric, 37 years young, who will vie to deny Messi his fairy-tale ending.
Tuesday's semi-final at Lusail Stadium might just boil down to two of the game's very best.
Messi magic Argentina's saving grace
After winning the Copa America last year, Argentina were always going to be among the favourites in Qatar. News of Messi confirming this would be his final shot at becoming a world champion only seemed to strengthen La Albiceleste's claim.
They went into the tournament on the back of a 36-game unbeaten run and they were facing Saudi Arabia in their Group C opener - surely, that streak would be extended to 37? Well, it wasn't. Messi scored, from the penalty spot, but Argentina slumped to a 2-1 defeat.
It left them needing to beat Mexico and Poland to ensure progress, and they did just that, if far from convincingly, at least against Mexico when Messi, again, was the difference-maker, this time with a low shot from the edge of the box, placed with delicate precision into the bottom corner, and then an assist for Enzo Fernandez's superb effort.
Messi scored Argentina's opener against Australia and then managed the match in the closing stages as Scaloni's team saw out a nervy 2-1 win after Fernandez's own goal gave the Socceroos hope.
Against the Dutch, Messi assisted Nahuel Molina's opener with the pass of the tournament – a defence-splitting, eye-of-the-needle throughball – before scoring a 73rd-minute penalty. It should have seen Argentina through comfortably, but they capitulated in the closing stages before rediscovering their composure in the shoot-out (Messi scored in that, too).
As they always do with Messi, the statistics speak for themselves.
Messi's six goal contributions (four goals, two assists) in this tournament trail only his Paris Saint-Germain club-mate Kylian Mbappe (seven). To further prove his importance to Argentina, he has been involved in 39 shot-ending sequences in open play at this World Cup, 15 more than any of his team-mates.
He will equal Lothar Matthaus as the player with the most appearances in World Cup history (25) when he takes to the field on Tuesday, while his goal against the Netherlands saw him match Gabriel Batistuta as Argentina's record scorer in the tournament, with 10 goals.
Messi has both scored and assisted a goal in three World Cup games, including two at this tournament. Since 1966, no other player has ever done so in four separate matches, while one more assist would see Messi equal the late, great Diego Maradona's record of eight at World Cup finals.
There is more than the hint of Maradona-ness to Messi's performances, too. Often reasonably compared to Maradona in terms of playing style, Messi has never quite had the same penchant for chaos as Argentina's first iconic number 10, but it is hard to avoid the similarities of 1986, when Maradona dragged a rather average Argentina side to glory in Mexico.
Maybe Lionel is finally letting his inner Diego loose, and maybe the outcome will be the same – although VAR will ensure there's no 'Hand of God' repeat.
Modric a master at work
Messi will play his 171st game for Argentina on Tuesday. Modric, on the other hand, will make his 161st Croatia appearance.
"It's such a pleasure to see him play, a role model for so many of us, not because of his talents as a player but also his behaviour," said Argentina coach Scaloni of Modric in his pre-match press conference.
"We should enjoy him, just like all the top players. If you love football, you want to see these players on the pitch."
It is, indeed, a pleasure to watch Modric do his thing. It is over a decade since the mercurial midfielder swapped Tottenham for Real Madrid, and the understated nature of his performances have, naturally, seen him go under the radar.
That changed in 2018 when, at 32, Modric won the Golden Ball at the Russia World Cup for his efforts in taking Croatia to their first final.
Croatia might have fallen short against France but Modric was incredible, and he went on to win the Ballon d'Or later that year, becoming the only player other than Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo to scoop that prize since Kaka in 2007.
Arguably, though, his performances in Qatar have been just as good.
Yes, Croatia's approach under Zlatko Dalic is not the prettiest, but in Modric, Mateo Kovacic and Marcelo Brozovic they have a midfield with a bit of everything; bite, skill and composure.
Captain Modric, who scored a stunning goal in Croatia's 3-0 defeat of Argentina at the last World Cup, is still the standout.
He has made the most World Cup appearances (17) of any Croatian player and has started all five of their games in Qatar. He will become only the fourth player aged 37 or older to start six matches at World Cup on Tuesday, barring any surprises.
Even if his energy levels aren't quite what they used to be (he was subbed off in extra time against Japan in the last 16), Modric has, if anything, got even smarter with when and where he expends that energy.
Twice against Brazil, he skipped through midfield to relieve the pressure on Croatia's defence. His carry distance of 1,455 metres ranks second out of midfielders at the tournament, only behind Spain's Rodri. However, Rodri was playing in defence, naturally meaning he would carry the ball further, given Spain's possession-based approach.
Modric has won seven of his 12 attempted tackles, and 26 of his 58 duels, completing 330 of 373 passes (88.5 per cent). Against Brazil, he completed the most passes and had the most touches of anyone on the pitch.
Like Messi, this is surely Modric's World Cup swansong, but his excellence cannot be overlooked either.
Team-mate Borna Sosa claimed Modric must rank within the best five midfielders of all time, and should he drive Croatia on to their second straight World Cup final, there should be little debate over that.
Luis Enrique was not let go as Spain coach for his extracurricular activities such as his Twitch streams, Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales has insisted.
The former Barcelona boss was dismissed from his post following La Roja's World Cup exit to Morocco in the last 16 earlier this month, with former youth boss Luis de la Fuente named as his replacement.
Before and during the tournament, Luis Enrique caught the eye with several additional activities, such as announcing his Qatar 2022 squad on a bike ride and streaming daily on the video site Twitch.
Some had wondered if he had paid the price in part for those distractions, but Rubiales has now sought to shut down such speculation, stating it was simply time for a change of leadership.
"I've read a lot of stories, that [it] was his Twitch, that it was his bicycle [rides], things like that," Rubiales said. "But there was nothing like that.
"The three of us, the outgoing sporting director [Jose Molina], the new sporting director [Albert Luque] and I, we agreed we should start a new project. There's nothing else.
"The relationship with Luis Enrique is magnificent. We're very grateful to him. There were different conversations. We always said we'd talk after the World Cup.
"He didn't tell me that he wanted to carry on. The conversation went along other lines, that a project was ending and another was beginning."
De la Fuente was officially unveiled on Monday, and will begin his tenure in charge with Euro 2024 qualifiers against Norway and Spain next March.
Brazil great Ronaldo says Lionel Messi's incredible achievements do not mean he deserves to win the World Cup and the Argentina captain must earn his shot at glory.
Messi provided a goal and an assist as Argentina overcame the Netherlands on penalties in the last eight, and he will hope to lead the Albiceleste to their sixth World Cup final when they meet Croatia in Tuesday's semi-final.
The Paris Saint-Germain forward has assumed a talismanic role in Qatar, with his return of six goal contributions - four goals and two assists - only bettered by Kylian Mbappe, who has five goals and two assists.
Messi has both scored and assisted in two different games at this World Cup, and in three at the tournament overall. Since 1966, no player has done so on four occasions.
While praising Messi's performances, Ronaldo warned lifting the World Cup will not come easily for the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner.
"We all deserve it. Nobody gives you anything, not even for your story," Ronaldo told reporters on Monday.
"Argentina isn't playing very well, but they play together, they're aggressive and then there's Messi, who is decisive when he's near the box. He now does less sprints than before.
"At the beginning of his career he did 30 actions and now he does 10, but he is still decisive. As soon as he gets the ball and he sees spaces, or is in the area, he is a killer.
"Would I be happy if Messi won the World Cup? Of course, I would be happy for him, but there is a big rivalry between Brazil and Argentina.
"I'm not going to be hypocritical and say that I would be happy for Argentina, that's not true!"
Messi will equal Lothar Matthaus' record of 25 World Cup appearances when he takes to the field on Tuesday, while a goal would see the 35-year-old surpass Gabriel Batistuta's tally of 10 World Cup strikes for the Albiceleste.
While Argentina remain in contention for a third World Cup triumph, their great rivals Brazil crashed out in the quarter-finals after losing a dramatic penalty shoot-out against Croatia.
The decision for Neymar to take Brazil's fifth and final penalty – a kick which never arrived due to Rodrygo and Marquinhos failing to convert – has attracted criticism, but Ronaldo does not view it as a mistake.
"I don't agree with any of the theories about the penalty shoot-out," he said. "I think changing the sequence... it's extremely delicate for you to approach a player and show that you don't have confidence in him, asking for another to take his place.
"That doesn't exist in football, in a group where everyone has full confidence in the coach and the nation.
"You arrive and ask to change, this is a great absurdity. Those who support this theory do not understand the dynamics of a group."
Former West Indies T20I Captain Carlos Brathwaite’s 3-17 wasn’t enough as the Kandy Falcons suffered a 12-run loss to the Galle Gladiators in the Lankan Premier League on Monday.
Brathwaite bowled an excellent four over spell to help restrict the Gladiators to 153-6 off their 20 overs after they won the toss and batted first.
Thanuka Dabare (70) and Nuwanidu Fernando (56) were the main contributors as Isuru Udana provided good support fie Brathwaite with 2-19 from his four overs.
In reply, Brathwaite and Andre Fletcher, who hit an unbeaten century in their first game, managed only four and eight, respectively, as the Gladiators restricted the Falcons to 141-7 from their 20 overs handing them their first defeat of the tournament in their fourth game.
Ashen Bandara (41 not out), Chamika Karunaratne (32) and Pathum Nissanka (29) were the main run-getters while Nuwan Thushara and Lakshan Sandakan took figures of 2-26 and 2-22, respectively.
The Falcons lead the five-team table with six points from four games.
Croatia's journey to successive World Cup semi-finals is beyond head coach Zlatko Dalic's wildest dreams.
Dalic was appointed in October 2017 when Croatia were in danger of missing out on the 2018 World Cup, his debut win over Ukraine in the final qualification group game securing second place.
Initially, Dalic said he would not remain in charge if Croatia failed to reach Russia 2018, but a 4-1 aggregate play-off defeat of Greece sealed their spot in the draw.
Dalic ultimately led the Valtreni to their first World Cup final – a 4-2 defeat to France denied them a famous maiden title, but their achievement remained significant.
Expectations of Croatia from neutrals ahead of Qatar 2022 were nowhere near as lofty, yet successive penalty shoot-out defeats of Japan and Brazil have taken them to within one match of becoming the first European nation since 1990 (Germany) to reach consecutive World Cup finals.
Argentina await at Lusail Stadium on Tuesday, and Monday's pre-match press conference provided Dalic the opportunity to reflect on his own journey since 2017.
"The situation is quite different to back then," he told reporters. "Honestly, I couldn't imagine I would come so far, be head coach of Croatia in two World Cups, that I would be leading Croatia in the final and semi-finals.
"I thought that these games were reserved for other protagonists, but thank God I managed to do it, I got the chance and took it. I'm so grateful for that chance.
"Whatever happens [on Tuesday], I'm still proud of what I've done for the Croatian national team. I'm proud of my Croatia and of my players.
"No one expected Croatia in four years would be among the four best teams, so my pride has no limits. It's sky-high.
"I'm a happy person now. All of us has dreams, mine was to be the head coach of Croatia. I never dreamt of this, so thanks to God for this."
Dalic was very eager to take the pressure off his team, though at the same time he is fully aware of the gravity of a potential win, which he believes would be the greatest result in Croatia's history.
"For me, the semi-final against England [in 2018] was the greatest match of all time [for Croatia] and the Brazil one [2022 quarter-final] is second.
"Tomorrow's will be third. It's one of the most significant for us. After only four years to repeat such an achievement [reaching a World Cup semi-final] on the international stage with a new national team is a great success.
"If we manage to win, that will make it the greatest match in history for Croatia."
Argentina also needed penalties to reach this stage, despite finding themselves 2-0 up against the Netherlands with less than 10 minutes of regulation time to go.
Dalic predicts Lionel Scaloni's men will be better than they were against the Oranje, though he is also adamant all the pressure is on the Albiceleste as their bid to finally win Lionel Messi a World Cup reaches its penultimate step.
"We analysed that match [against the Netherlands] and we saw what Argentina does best," Dalic added.
"Messi's in great shape again, he's very good at setting the stage for assists and is very connected with the other players.
"They're assertive, feisty; an extraordinary team. They're well-balanced, they have their own qualities and really want to get a result.
"They did not expect the Netherlands to come back. I even expect them to be better against us, to be more compact and have greater strength.
"This match is very important for them too. They are under greater pressure than us, they'll have a lot of fans, which is a handicap for us, but we won't succumb to that, we won't complain.
"We're into the semis, so let's play one of the best teams in the world and let's enjoy it."
Nick Kyrgios will play the French Open for the first time since 2017 next year because his partner wants to visit Paris, though he would prefer to stay at home.
Kyrgios has never been beyond the third round at Roland Garros, last appearing at the event in 2017 – when he suffered a second-round defeat against Kevin Anderson.
Last year, the Australian labelled the French Open "the worst grand slam" and called for the competition to be "taken off the calendar altogether".
However, Kyrgios now says he will end his absence from the Paris event, though his reasons for doing so are not tennis related.
"My girlfriend wants to know Paris, so I'm going to play at Roland Garros 2023," Kyrgios told reporters in Saudi Arabia.
"It will be good for me to earn some more money, although I would have preferred to stay at home.
"I know I can do great results on clay. I beat Roger [Federer], [Stan] Wawrinka, I played a final in Estoril. My girl wants to get to know the city so I will have to go this year."
Kyrgios achieved two of his four best grand slam runs in 2022, losing the Wimbledon final to Novak Djokovic before exiting the US Open at the quarter-final stage against Karen Khachanov.
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