Croatia star Josko Gvardiol's old quote on Lionel Messi resurfaces after FIFA World Cup clash

Croatia star Josko Gvardiola's old quote on Lionel Messi, where he hailed the Argentine captain as a once-in-a-century phenomenon, has resurfaced following the Vatreni's loss at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The Albiceleste beat Croatia 3-0 in the semifinals on Tuesday (December 14) to book their place in Sunday's final against either Morocco or defending champions France. Messi was once again the star of the show with a remarkable display, scoring a first-half penalty to put his side in front before teeing up Julian Alvarez for their third with a beautiful assist.

New clips have emerged of the third goal where the PSG ace could be seen making the run from the halfway line. Messi then turned Gvardiol inside out, held on to the ball, and got to the byline to lay it off for Alvarez for a simple finish.

🇭🇷 Gvardiol (2021): “Messi. I think he’s something that happens once in 100 years.” https://t.co/Yr3qXgpN2H

It's been widely hailed as the best assist of the tournament, as Messi's control, speed and vision were all top notch.

Now, a 2021 clip of Gvardiola has emerged where the Croatian full-back is seen praising the former Barcelona talisman, who he thinks 'happens once in 100 years'.

“Messi. I think he’s something that happens once in 100 years,” Gvardiola had said (via All About Argentina).

While Gvardiol showed great respect for the star long before their duel, the 20-year-old got first-hand experience of playing against Messi on Tuesday. That must have vindicated his opinion about the Argentine.

Messi was in inspired form against Croatia, to say the least. He scored his fifth goal of the tournament, drawing level with Kylian Mbappe at atop the goalscoring charts. In the process, he surpassed Gabriel Batistuta to become Argentina's most prolific marksman at the World Cup with 11 strikes.

With three assists to boot, the 35-year-old has made a strong case for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball, which is given out to the best player at the tournament.

Lionel Messi's Argentina on brink of 2022 FIFA World Cup title

Argentina made a statement with their clinical 3-0 win over Croatia. They now await the winner of France and Morocco on Sunday for the 2022 FIFA World Cup title.

Lionel Messi is one step closer to being the first Argentine to lift the World Cup trophy since Maradona in 1986 🇦🇷 https://t.co/HQznQQ0uql

It's their second final in the competition in three editions, and a shot at redemption for Lionel Messi, who's looking to bow out by winning the ultimate prize.

The former Barcelona ace could finally join Diego Maradona in the pantheon of FIFA World Cup winners, and perhaps settle the debate about who's the greatest of all time.