World Cup 2018: 5 pairs of clubmates who will go head-to-head in the group stage

#2 Lionel Messi - Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona)

Valencia v Barcelona - Copa del Rey Semi Final Second Leg — Lionel Messi and Ivan Rakitic pull the strings at Barcelona

Since 2014 Lionel Messi and Ivan Rakitic have been teammates at Barcelona. While the former is simply the Blaugrana's best player (and arguably the world's best), the latter was given the almost impossible task of replacing Xavi when he left the club in 2015.

However, the two friends will turn foes when their respective national teams play each other on the 21st of June in the World Cup.

Messi was on the verge of leading Argentina to glory last time, but the dreams were broken when Germany's Mario Gotze found the back of the net against La Albiceleste in the extra time of the finals. Argentina faced two further setbacks in the finals of the Copa America tournaments that took place in 2015 and 2016. This time in Russia, Messi will be praying that things go his way.

Rakitic, on the other hand, is a part of a very balanced but underrated Croatia squad. The team managed by Zlatko Dalic could be the surprise package of this term's World Cup and the Barcelona midfielder will play key role in. The 30-year-old along with Real Madrid's Luka Modric will be pulling the strings for the side.

About the author

Dakir is a European and Indian football journalist at Sportskeeda with an overall experience of 10 years. Holding a Master’s degree in Journalism & Mass Communication, and currently pursuing Master’s in Sports Journalism from Sheffield Hallam University, he is a seasoned football journalist who has interviewed the likes of former Liverpool star John Arne Riise, covered the entire 2022-23 Indian Super League season of the Kerala Blasters, and has delivered a seminar at an international conference held by St. Albert's College, Ernakulam.

Thanks to his extensive academic background in journalism, Dakir understands the importance of accuracy and spends a significant amount of time researching the subject. In today’s data-driven world of football, where players are perceived as machines, he prides himself amplify the voices of the people that make football the beautiful game that it is.

He started following football in 2013, and more specifically, Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool, and admires Jurgen Klopp for his untouched charisma and unmatched legacy. A perpetual underdog supporter, he is a fan of under-fire Reds forward Darwin Nunez and can’t wait for him to show the world what he truly is. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s iconic “corner taken quickly” corner assist for Divock Origi in Liverpool’s 4-0 UCL semifinal win over Barcelona left a lasting impact on him.

When not writing, Dakir enjoys indulging in his guilty pleasure - watching mass commercial movies.

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Edited by Raunak J