Lisandro Martinez was included by Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni for Friday's World Cup quarter-final against the Netherlands.

Manchester United defender Martinez came on five minutes after half-time in Argentina's narrow 2-1 win over Australia in the round of 16 and retains his place at the expense of Papu Gomez with Scaloni reverting to a 3-5-2 formation.

Rodrigo De Paul also starts while Angel Di Maria is named on the bench.

Louis van Gaal also makes one change to his Netherlands starting line-up with Steven Bergwijn coming in for Davy Klaassen.

Argentina and the Netherlands clash for a sixth time at the World Cup on Friday.

They are familiar foes having been regular opponents over the years, featuring in some memorable games, a couple of forgettable ones and a hugely controversial encounter in 1978.

The winners of this quarter-final will take on Croatia or Brazil in the last four.

Here, Stats Perform looks back at the previous World Cup meetings between Argentina and the Netherlands.

Netherlands 4-0 Argentina – June 26, 1974

The 1974 World Cup saw the most one-sided clash between the pair with Rinus Michels' wonderful Netherlands side steamrolling Argentina.

Playing at their first World Cup in 36 years, the Dutch coasted through the first group stage while Argentina had to rely on a 4-1 defeat of whipping boys Haiti to advance.

That set up a second group phase meeting in which the gulf in class was quickly apparent - Johan Cruyff and Ruud Krol putting the Netherlands 2-0 up by half-time. Second-half goals from Johnny Rep and Cruyff finished the job for Michels' men, who reached the final only to lose 2-1 to West Germany.

Argentina 3-1 Netherlands (after extra time) – June 25, 1978

It was no surprise that Argentina triumphed on home soil in 1978 – a World Cup riddled with accusations of corruption and intimidation.

Following a military coup in 1976, the governing National Reorganisation Process were desperate for international legitimacy and saw the World Cup as the perfect opportunity to achieve it.

Accusations of refereeing bias accompanied their matches in the first group phase and they qualified in second behind Italy.

The second group phase was even more controversial. Needing to beat Peru by four goals in their final match to reach the final at the expense of arch-rivals Brazil, Argentina won 6-0.

In the final, they met a Netherlands side shorn of Cruyff, who had opted to remain at home, although he denied it was on political grounds.

A bad-tempered game that was delayed by Argentina being late to enter the field went into extra-time after Dick Nanninga cancelled out Mario Kempes' first-half opener.

Kempes, who finished as the tournament's leading scorer, restored Argentina's lead in the 105th minute and a third from Daniel Bertoni secured Argentina's first World Cup crown.

Netherlands 2-1 Argentina – July 4, 1998

Both teams advanced to the round of 16 by winning their groups, although they found their next assignments more difficult. The Netherlands edged past Yugoslavia 2-1 while Argentina required penalties to overcome England following a pulsating 2-2 draw.

That set up a quarter-final that will live long in the memory.

On a steamy day in Marseille, the likes of Dennis Bergkamp, Jaap Stam and Edgar Davids went head to head with Gabriel Batistuta, Diego Simeone and Javier Zanetti.

Patrick Kluivert gave the Dutch a 12th-minute lead only for Claudio Lopez to equalise five minutes later. Neither side could land another blow until the dying seconds when Frank de Boer's raking pass picked out Bergkamp and, after controlling the ball instantly, he stepped inside Roberto Ayala and fired high into the net.

The Netherlands advanced to the semi-finals where they lost to Brazil on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

Netherlands 0-0 Argentina – June 21, 2006

With both teams having already qualified from Group C, this was nothing more than a joust for top spot. Several first-choice players were left out by respective coaches Jose Pekerman and Marco van Basten, rested for the tests to come.

Argentina came closest in a hard-fought encounter, Juan Roman Riquelme's free-kick hitting the post after deflecting off Khalid Boulahrouz.

The South Americans topped the group and went on to beat Mexico 2-1 in extra-time in the round of 16 before bowing out to tournament hosts Germany in the quarter-finals in a penalty shoot-out.

As for the Dutch, they lost 1-0 to Portugal in the round of 16.

Netherlands 0-0 Argentina (Argentina win 4-2 on penalties) – July 9, 2014

Netherlands topped their group and accounted for Mexico and Costa Rica, albeit the latter via a penalty shoot-out, to reach the last four.

Argentina also made light work of the pool stage and advanced thanks to 1-0 wins over Switzerland (after extra-time) and Belgium to set up a clash with the Dutch.

An eagerly-awaited clash turned into a damp squib, however, with neither side showing any attacking fluency.

The Dutch had brought penalty specialist Tim Krul off the bench deep into extra-time against Costa Rica, and promptly watched him save two spot-kicks.

Against Argentina, coach Louis van Gaal had already made his three substitutions, meaning Jasper Cillessen had to stay between the sticks. He didn't save any while Ron Vlaar and Wesley Sneijder missed to send Argentina into the final for the first time since 1990.

Lionel Messi does not need to win a World Cup to cement his legacy, Adlene Guedioura told Stats Perform.

Seven-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi has landed eight league titles and four Champions League trophies during a glittering club career.

But international success with Argentina has largely eluded Messi, though he did lift the Copa America last year having finished a runner-up three times previously.

Messi came close to winning the World Cup in 2014, but La Albiceleste suffered final heartbreak as Mario Gotze scored an extra-time winner.

The 35-year-old's failure to bring home international football's top prize has been cited by some as harming his legacy in comparison to the likes of Pele and compatriot Diego Maradona.

The ongoing tournament in Qatar could represent Messi's final chance to win the World Cup, with his Argentina side set to face the Netherlands in the quarter-finals on Friday.

Guedioura believes even if Argentina fail in their quest to win a third World Cup in Qatar, Messi's legacy will not be tainted.

Asked if he feels the potential gap in Messi's trophy cabinet will impact how he is remembered, the former Algeria midfielder told Stats Perform: "Not at all. We've enjoyed him for such a long time with [Cristiano] Ronaldo.

"I think, of course, a title with Argentina will put him on the top of everything. But watching him in Barcelona and with Paris Saint-Germain is something special."

Argentina came into the tournament on a run of 36 matches unbeaten, but that streak came to a stunning end when they were beaten 2-1 by Saudi Arabia in their World Cup opener.

La Albiceleste have steadied the ship, though, finishing top of Group C and beating Australia in the round of 16 to set up the meeting with the Netherlands.

Despite Argentina's improvement, Guedioura highlighted rivals Brazil as the team more likely to take the trophy back to South America, explaining: "Argentina started poorly with Saudi Arabia.

"Maybe, it was a little accident or a little warning for them. But compared to Brazil, I feel Brazil they are stronger than Argentina."

Guedioura played for Algeria at the 2010 World Cup, and though his nation failed to qualify this year, fellow African sides Senegal and Morocco made it to the knockout stages, with the latter set to face Portugal in the last eight.

The Al-Duhail midfielder thinks African nations pull together at tournaments in a way that is not replicated across other regions of the world. "This is maybe a difference when you have England or Scotland," he observed.

"When Scotland is not qualified, it's like they don't want England to do well. For us, I don't think it's like this. Any team that does well, all of Africa support them because they are the hope for the country and for the continent really."

Jurrien Timber is not shaking at the prospect of facing Lionel Messi but says it will be a "great challenge".

Netherlands defender Timber will be tasked with trying to stop arguably the best footballer in the world on Friday when Louis van Gaal's side take on Argentina in the World Cup quarter-finals.

Messi has scored three goals at Qatar 2022 and gave a virtuoso display as Argentina edged out Australia 2-1 on Saturday.

Keeping the Paris Saint-Germain star quiet will be key to the Netherlands' chances of progressing to the semi-finals but Timber is up for the challenge.

Sitting alongside fellow defender Nathan Ake, he said: "Am I getting the shakes [at the prospect of facing him]? Fortunately not.

"It’s a great challenge to play against him. Messi is a fantastic footballer, but we aren't just playing against Messi and we don't have to solve it with the two of us.

"We're going to do that with the team."

Ake added: "It's very difficult to stop him. He's probably the best player in the world but we have to be wary of several players."

Another key man in the Dutch defence is captain Virgil van Dijk and he also felt it would be foolhardy to train all their focus on Messi.

He said: "They have a good team with many players that can decide the match.

"But it's not the Netherlands against Messi, it's the Netherlands against Argentina. I have a lot of respect for Messi, who, like Cristiano Ronaldo, has been among the best in football for so long. He deserves special attention but they also have Julian Alvarez, he has a bright future ahead of him at Manchester City and Argentina. But hopefully not in two days, here in Qatar."

The main question for Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni is whether to start again with a 4-3-3 formation or switch to the 3-5-2 they finished with against Australia.

If it's the former, it may see a return to the starting line-up for Angel Di Maria, if he can prove his fitness. If Scaloni opts for a three-man defence, then Lisandro Martinez will be included at the expense of Papu Gomez.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Netherlands – Memphis Depay

Depay has been the Netherlands' creative hub, not just in Qatar, but for many months.

The Barcelona attacker has been involved in 34 goals in his last 30 appearances for Netherlands in all competitions, scoring 24 and assisting 10.

Argentina – Julian Alvarez

Having started the tournament behind Lautaro Martinez, Alvarez has emerged as the main foil for Lionel Messi.

Alvarez has scored in each of his two World Cup starts. Only three Argentina players have scored in their first three; Guillermo Stabile in 1930, Oreste Corbatta in 1958 and Hernan Crespo in 2006. If he starts and scores in this match, at 22 years and 312 days of age, he'd be the youngest to score in his first three World Cup starts since Peru's Teofilo Cubillas in 1970 (21y 94d).

PREDICTION

Argentina are a 44.2 per cent chance to emerge victorious and progress to the semi-finals, according to Stats Perform's AI computer.

The Netherlands are rated at 27.1 per cent chance with a draw coming in at 28.7 per cent.

Alexis Mac Allister's rise to prominence in the Argentina squad has surprised even himself, and the Brighton midfielder is relishing the prospect of Friday's World Cup quarter-final against the Netherlands.

Mac Allister did not play Argentina's first game in Qatar, a stunning 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia, but has subsequently cemented a place in Lionel Scaloni's midfield and quickly emerged as a key player.

Argentina take on the Oranje at Lusail Stadium with a place in the semi-finals at stake and Mac Allister is excited at the prospect.

"If you would have told me this [how influential he has become] before the World Cup I would have signed up for it, for sure," he said.

"It has been a fast integration but the credit for that goes to my colleagues and the technical staff."

The Netherlands will pose a serious threat to Argentina's hopes but Mac Allister was more interested in talking up his team-mates than spending too much time worrying about Louis van Gaal's men.

He added: "We know they have great players, and a very clear style, but we have our own weapons and will try to counter theirs.

"There is a great history between the sides but if we do things right everything will be fine."

The nations have met five times previously at the World Cup, with the last coming in 2014 when Argentina won a semi-final clash in Brazil on penalties after a turgid 0-0 draw.

Van Gaal was also in charge of the Dutch on that occasion, during his second spell of three at the helm, and Mac Allister was full of admiration for the 71-year-old.

"I remember watching that game with my family at home," he said. "I enjoyed it and now I am here. Being able to play these matches is a great joy.

"We know he's a top coach, world renowned, and there is a great deal of respect from everyone in our camp, including me. His teams always have variation but with a clear idea. We are up against a great team."

Lionel Messi has been Argentina's standout player so far in Qatar and stopping him could be key to the outcome.

Reports in the Netherlands suggest Van Gaal is considering employing someone to man mark the Paris Saint-Germain star but Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni claims to have seen it all before.

He said: "We are used to our opponents coming up with something different. We will see but, during the match, there are always modifications, and that’s something we are likely to do as well.

"Let's wait and see but we have played matches before when there has been man-marking on Leo."

Argentina have injury concerns over Rodrigo De Paul and Angel Di Maria but Scaloni was not giving much away regarding their availability.

"Today we have the last training session so we will see how they feel," he said. "Rodrigo trained on Wednesday so let's see what happens in today's session. Angel also trained so we will decide later today."

Louis van Gaal entertained the media in Doha on Thursday as he responded to criticism from Angel Di Maria by showing his close bond with Memphis Depay, another of his former Manchester United players.

Netherlands coach Van Gaal signed Di Maria at United, but the Argentina international struggled to settle in the Premier League.

The winger, who hopes to face Van Gaal's Oranje at the World Cup on Friday, subsequently described the ex-United manager as "the worst coach of my career".

Van Gaal was offered a reminder of this comment at his pre-match news conference, but he was in jovial mood as he responded sat next to Depay.

"Angel Di Maria is simply a really good football player," Van Gaal said to an increasingly amused press room.

"At the time when he played for Manchester, he had a lot of personal issues, there was a break-in at his house. That also affected his fitness that year.

"The fact he would refer to me as the worst trainer, that is one of the very few players that ever said that. Usually it is the other way around.

"So, I think that is sad. I don't like that Angel said that on one occasion. It is a pity, but that's just the way it is.

"A head coach sometimes needs to take decisions that don't always end well. There's someone next to me here, Memphis Depay, and the same happened to him.

"Memphis also played for Manchester, and now we kiss each other, mouth-to-mouth. No, we're not going to do that now.

"That's just how things pan out in football. People are laughing now, but I didn't select Memphis for the [FA Cup] final – now that's not nice.

"Believe me, a head coach doesn't do this without a reason. It may well have been a wrong decision, but just look at how we are dealing with each other, working with each other now. Things are quite different.

"I'm not allowed to kiss him on the mouth, he doesn't want that, quite unfortunate, but it's fine by me."

Van Gaal was also asked about Bastian Schweinsteiger, who played for him both at United and at Bayern Munich.

Schweinsteiger's Germany eliminated Argentina from three consecutive World Cups between 2006 and 2014, and he has been in contact with Van Gaal.

"That is private. I'm sorry, it's private. I cannot say anything about that," Van Gaal said of their conversations. "I just think it's great that he's doing this.

"I ask him as well, because he's a reporter now and sees all these matches, and he was a player with brains. Football is being played with brains.

"I do learn things that my scouts have not said so far, which is positive. He is a fan of the Netherlands now that Germany is out."

Louis van Gaal is not expecting a classic World Cup encounter between the Netherlands and Argentina on Friday due to the way "football has evolved".

The quarter-final at Lusail Stadium will be the sixth finals meeting between the two sides.

Those previous clashes include a dominant Netherlands win in 1974, a controversial 1978 final and Dennis Bergkamp's memorable winner at this stage in 1998.

Most recently, however, Van Gaal's Netherlands and Argentina played out a goalless draw in the semi-finals eight years ago, with La Albiceleste advancing on penalties.

Speaking at a pre-match news conference on Thursday, Van Gaal appeared to suggest a similarly tight affair was likely this time.

Explaining his "new vision", the Oranje coach had "a very attacking DNA" at Ajax in the 1990s but learnt at Barcelona "you can't always pursue that goal".

"It is much more difficult to play as offensively as Ajax used to play," Van Gaal added as he again faced criticism for the Netherlands' style of play. "If you fail to see that, it is very difficult to understand this is the way things go.

"When, in 2014, I started developing the more defensive system, people criticised me. Now, half the world is playing that kind of football. Football has evolved in that direction."

Asked how this latest episode in the Netherlands-Argentina rivalry might compare, the coach said: "I've just provided you with a wonderful answer to your question: football is no longer being played as in 1988 or 1974 or whatever.

"Then it was an open game, which it no longer is. You can have all sorts of opinions about that, but this is simply the way football has evolved.

"It is always possible to have decisive moments that you remember years afterwards, like Bergkamp's goal, so undoubtedly we will continue to remember this forever."

Memphis Depay, appearing alongside Van Gaal, is of a similar view, saying: "The game is going to be decided in moments.

"I believe we can catch a moment and go through. We obviously want to play a good game, but there's also going to be a tactical game, I think."

Van Gaal is unlikely to shift away from that "defensive system" now as the Netherlands prepare for a step up in quality.

"Argentina in my view are a top country with top football players in their squad," Van Gaal said. "The tournament actually is starting tomorrow for real for us.

"Of course, I don't want to downplay the importance of other countries we've been able to beat, but Argentina and possibly Brazil in the next round are quite different from the countries we've played in the groups and in the last 16."

Lautaro Martinez has been given pain-killing injections to allow him to play at the World Cup for Argentina, according to his agent.

The Inter striker is yet to score at the tournament in Qatar, despite making four appearances, as La Albiceleste have reached the final eight.

Martinez started the shock opening defeat to Saudi Arabia and saw two goals disallowed for offside, while also making the starting XI for the 2-0 win over Mexico.

However, he was selected on the bench against Poland in the final group game, while he also came on with less than 20 minutes to play in the round-of-16 victory over Australia.

In the build-up to Argentina's quarter-final meeting with the Netherlands on Friday, Martinez's agent revealed the forward is receiving treatment for an ankle injury.

"Lautaro has been taking injections because he has a lot of pain in his ankle," Alejandro Camacho told La Red.

"He's working hard to make that pain go away, and as soon as that happens, he'll be flying on the pitch. Martinez is a top player in the world.

"He is very strong in the mind, but the goals that were disallowed against Saudi Arabia were hard moments for him."

Manchester City's Julian Alvarez has been the man that Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni has selected to start in Martinez's place.

Camacho believes Alvarez and Martinez are helping each other's performances, adding: "The competition makes him [Martinez] and Julian stronger, because contrary to what you might think, they are good for each other."

Netherlands and PSV forward Cody Gakpo will "think about" a move to Manchester United should the Premier League side come calling again.

Gakpo has been one of the stars of the 2022 World Cup so far and is reportedly a January transfer target for United, Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich among others.

The 23-year-old became only the second player in the competition's history, after Italy's Alessandro Altobelli in 1986, to open the scoring three times in the same group stage.

He fired a blank in the 3-1 win over the United States in the last 16, but the in-form attacker still boasts a return of 17 goals and eight assists in 30 games this season.

United are reputed to be the frontrunners to sign Gakpo, having already reached out in the past window, and he will consider any fresh interest in the coming weeks.

Asked about missing out on a move to the Premier League earlier this year, coinciding with PSV failing to qualify for the Champions League, Gakpo said: "That was tough.

"I've learned a lot from that. Next time I'll do it differently. I thought about Manchester United before, but when that didn't happen I didn't know anymore and started to doubt.

"Then Leeds United came and I wondered if I should go there. Now I'll wait for everything. I haven't heard from Manchester United yet, but when they come, I'll think about it."

Gakpo's goals and all-round attacking play have helped the Netherlands through to the quarter-finals in Qatar, where Argentina await in a mouth-watering tie on Friday.

The Oranje have lost just one of their nine meetings with Argentina, though the most recent of their four draws resulted in a penalty shoot-out loss in the 2014 World Cup semi-final.

Argentina have found their groove with wins over Mexico, Poland and Australia since suffering a shock opening loss to Saudi Arabia, with Lionel Messi playing a starring role.

"We shouldn't think only about him," Gakpo added in the interview with Dutch outlet NRC. "We need to win and it doesn't matter who we are facing.

"Argentina are here for one reason and so are we. We are aware we have to play better than them, and we can do that.

"But in a tournament like this, all that counts is the result. We have to find the right moments on the field to use each other's strengths."

Lionel Messi is "human" and "can miss" penalties, according to the Netherlands goalkeeper Andries Noppert ahead of his team's clash with Argentina in the World Cup quarter-finals on Friday.

In his fifth World Cup, Messi has scored three times in Qatar to help Argentina to the final eight of the tournament, taking his tally to 94 international goals.

Messi has converted 21 of his 26 penalties in his Argentina career, with one of those failures coming in the 2-0 victory over Poland in La Albiceleste's last group match in Qatar, though he did score from 12 yards in the shock opening 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia.

With Spain and Japan dumped out by penalty shoot-outs in the round of 16, Noppert is ready to take on the challenge if Friday's game goes the distance and Messi takes a spot-kick.

"He's the same like us. He's a human," Noppert told reporters on Wednesday. "It's about the moment.

"He can also miss, and we see it in the beginning of this tournament."

Noppert's route to becoming the Netherlands' number one goalkeeper at a World Cup has been an unconventional one, having been released from second-tier Dutch side Dordrecht just two years ago.

He considered retiring from football altogether, though was eventually signed by Eredivisie side Go Ahead Eagles in early 2021. Noppert found success there, before joining Heerenveen in May of this year.

His form was enough to earn him a call-up to the Netherlands' squad for Qatar, and Noppert became just the second Oranje player to make his national team debut at a World Cup in their opening 2-0 victory over Senegal.

With such a meteoric rise, Noppert spoke of his pride ahead of the biggest game of his career, while crediting coach Louis van Gaal for the role he played in the 28-year-old's inclusion.

"When you are a little boy you dream of being at a World Cup," Noppert added. "When you see my career, you put that dream away. But I kept fighting for it. 

"There is only one national coach who could have brought me here and that is our national coach [Van Gaal]. 

"I am proud to be here and I have to keep working hard. That is the most important thing."

Lionel Messi will be a danger to the Netherlands even when he is "chilling" and the Dutch must have a "good plan" to combat Argentina's superstar, says Virgil van Dijk.

The Dutch will renew hostilities with La Albiceleste in Friday's quarter-final contest in Qatar, in a fixture rich in World Cup history.

Argentina defeated the Netherlands in the 1978 final, while Louis van Gaal will get the chance at revenge having been in charge when his side lost to Messi and company on penalties in the semis eight years ago.

Van Dijk came up against Messi, who already has three goals in Qatar including in the 2-1 last-16 win over Australia, when Liverpool defeated Barcelona in the 2018-19 Champions League semi-finals.

So, naturally, he knows the Paris Saint-Germain star and seven-time Ballon d'Or winner is a player you can never take your eyes off.

"The difficult thing about him is when we are attacking, he is chilling somewhere in a corner or something," Van Dijk said.

"You have to be so very sharp in terms of defensive organisation. They always looked for him to try to make it difficult for us on the counter.

"It is an honour to play against him. It is not me against him, or the Netherlands against him, but the Netherlands against Argentina.

"No one can do it on his own, we will have to come up with a good plan."

Frenkie de Jong says he has no inside track on how to stop his former Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi, as the Netherlands and Argentina prepare to meet in the World Cup.

The two sides will square off in the quarter-finals at Qatar 2022, with Louis van Gaal's Oranje having beaten the United States and Lionel Scaloni's Albiceleste having felled Australia.

With three goals so far this tournament - and in likely his last visit to the World Cup - Messi has netted three goals and ignited an otherwise hit-and-miss Argentina side.

As the forward pursues the biggest honour to elude him across his trophy-laden career, Netherlands fans might have hoped De Jong would know how to stop his ex-colleague, but the Dutchman says that is not the case.

"No," he told ESPN. "I know him, but I don't know how to stop him. He's been making the difference for 15 years and there is not one way to stop him.

"Usually he would still make the difference during training too. We just have to stop him as a team.

Asked if he had spoken to Messi since their clash was confirmed, De Jong added: "We haven't texted each other. I am not planning to. We will see each other on Friday."

Having joined Barcelona in 2019, De Jong was a member of the Barca team that claimed the 2020-21 Copa del Rey alongside Messi, with both scoring in the final.

The latter was on hand when Argentina beat the Netherlands in the 2014 World Cup semi-finals, before they were downed by Germany in the final, and De Jong is determined to ensure there is no repeat.

"Argentina is of course a top team," he added. "But so are we. It will be a very good match, but I am confident. I think they look at us the same way. It's a 50-50 encounter."

Louis van Gaal has called on the Netherlands to replicate their 2014 World Cup semi-final performance to contain Lionel Messi in Friday's quarter-final clash with Argentina.

Van Gaal's side reached the last eight with a 3-1 win over the United States on Saturday, while Argentina joined them by beating Australia 2-1 as Messi scored his first World Cup knockout goal.

Friday's match will represent the sixth World Cup meeting between the two teams. Only two fixtures have been played more often at the tournament – Brazil versus Sweden and Argentina versus Germany (both seven).

Argentina triumphed on penalties after the last such fixture finished goalless in 2014's semi-finals, when Van Gaal was in the second of his three spells with the Oranje, and he says they must replicate their defensive work from that game to keep Messi quiet. 

"Of course, Messi is the most important player for them, the most creative. Those are always the most important players," he told De Telegraaf.

"Eight years ago at the World Cup in Brazil, we succeeded well in neutralising Messi. He didn't hit a ball then. 

"We thought we were the better team, but we eventually lost on penalties. I can't back it up with facts any more, but that's my memory. 

"I substituted to win the game in regular time. Unfortunately, that did not work out. In retrospect, it may have been a stupid decision."

Excluding shoot-outs, Van Gaal is unbeaten in his 11 World Cup matches as a coach (W8 D3). If the Netherlands avoid defeat against Argentina, he will equal ex-Brazil boss Luiz Felipe Scolari's record of 12 games without defeat from the start of a World Cup managerial career.

Despite criticism of the Netherlands' style, Van Gaal believes they have grown into the tournament after several players overcame fitness issues.

"I believe in the team over the individual player," he added. "It is not the case that we have already achieved top form as a team. We can be much better, that's what I've always said. 

"There is an upward trend. You should also not forget how we arrived with these 26 players. There were players who were not match fit. We had to build them up and so on.

"Much of that is now behind us. Memphis [Depay] can now play 90 minutes, for example. More were sick, weak, or nauseous. That is getting better. 

"With our tactical plan we can surprise the opponent. That has been proven several times. These guys haven't lost under my leadership."

No team has appeared in more World Cup finals without winning than the Netherlands (three), and while Van Gaal believes they have the ability to lift the trophy, he acknowledges they are not favourites.

"I said that we can become world champions with this squad," Van Gaal said. "I didn't say we're going to be world champions, but we can be.

"If we don't become world champions in the end, because there can only be one, I don't think you can say we failed."

Lionel Messi was liberated by winning last year's Copa America and is relishing his leading role in Argentina's World Cup bid, according to former team-mate Sergio Aguero.

Messi scored his ninth World Cup goal – and his first in a knockout tie – as Argentina claimed a 2-1 victory over Australia on Saturday, teeing up a quarter-final meeting with the Netherlands.

The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner's strike, a trademark left-footed finish after cutting inside from the right, also saw him surpass Diego Maradona's tally of eight World Cup goals for Argentina. Only Gabriel Batistuta (10) now has more for the country.

Messi highlighted his "beautiful" bond with Argentina's supporters after the win, but Aguero believes that is a recent development, one which came about as a result of the Albiceleste ending a 28-year wait to win the Copa America last July.

"Leo is going to do everything possible to achieve the goal that we all want," the former Argentina international told ESPN. 

"Leo is happy and content. The Copa America changed his life, it gave him life. After the Copa America, he was happy again in the national team, like when we were in the under-20s.

"He lived with criticism and lost finals for a long time. The Copa America was liberating for him."

Prior to Argentina's triumph over hosts Brazil last year, Messi had suffered the ignominy of losing four major international finals, failing to help his team over the line at the 2014 World Cup or the 2007, 2015 and 2016 editions of the Copa America.

Recalling that victory in Rio de Janeiro, Aguero said Brazil – who could meet Argentina in the World Cup semi-finals – would not relish a rematch.

"If we made it to the quarter-finals, let me be excited," Aguero said. "Do you think that Brazil wants to meet Argentina in the semi-finals? 

"Brazil has just lost the Copa America final, I think they don't want that match."

Lionel Messi was motivated to become "even bigger than he is" against Australia due to a confrontation with Aziz Behich moments before his goal, according to Alexis Mac Allister.

Argentina captain Messi inspired his side to a 2-1 win in the last 16 of the World Cup on Saturday, booking a quarter-final against the Netherlands.

The legendary forward had endured a quiet start to the match, with Argentina struggling as a result, but he burst into life 10 minutes before half-time.

Messi pressed Behich in the corner of the pitch and won an Albiceleste throw-in, with the pair then tangling in a brief tussle.

Within seconds, Messi had fired a precious opener, his first World Cup knockout goal in his ninth such match.

"Leo, when these things happen, he brings out that inner fire that he has, that personality that makes him even bigger than he is," team-mate Mac Allister said. "In these kind of games, he becomes bigger.

"For us, he is the most important player. He knows it, he helps us a lot, and for us, it is a pride to be able to accompany him.

"We know that he always tries to give his best, but when something happens [like the confrontation] he has enough personality to get out of it, to make it work for him and start playing even better."

Messi was involved in everything Argentina did going forward, attempting six shots and creating four chances – two high marks across the match.

That made Mac Allister's job simple: give Messi the ball.

"I really enjoy playing with Messi," the Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder said. "For me, he's the best player in history, in the world, and I'm proud to be next to him.

"I try to give him the ball to him, because if the ball goes through him, everything is easier. I think he's having a great World Cup and we need him a lot."