Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski will both feature in the knockout rounds of the 2022 World Cup.In a dramatic climax to Group C where Mexico were almost knocked out on the basis of fair play rules, Argentina and Poland could both celebrate together at Stadium 974 having secured qualification to the round of 16.Argentina completed their return to form on the back of the shock defeat to Saudi Arabia by defeating Lewandowski and co. 2-0 courtesy of goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Julian Alvarez.
What happened in World Cup Group C?
The result meant that they qualified as group winners on six points and will subsequently lock horns with Australia, who finished as runners-up in Group D, in the next phase of the competition.
Poland, meanwhile, might have ended their group stage fixtures on a bum note, but the four points they garnered from clashes with Saudi Arabia and Mexico were still enough to progress.
Czesław Michniewicz's men were already set to progress based on their smaller tally of yellow cards, but Mexico's late concession of a Salem Al-Dawsari goal hammered the final nail in the coffin by harming their goal difference.
What happened between Lewandowski and Messi?
So, all that considered, it should hardly have been surprising to see Lewandowski and Messi sharing a lovely moment together upon the full-time whistle.
Not only did they both have progression to celebrate as well as a shared interest in Barcelona, but hey, let's face it, a little embrace and small talk is pretty standard for footballers after games.
However, the exchange between Lewandowski and Messi which fans are sharing across social media right now is made all the more note-worthy by the fact that, just a few minutes earlier, things weren't quite so cordial.
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That's because Messi was seemingly annoyed with Lewandowski having won a foul under pretty intense physical pressure from the Barcelona forward.
Replays even showed that Messi had rebuffed Lewandowski's efforts to cool the tensions with a high five, prompting tense scenes of the likes you don't often associate with the Paris Saint-Germain star.
Nevertheless, it was all hugs and kisses once the final whistle had blown, so be sure to check out the moment that things got awkward between Messi and Lewandowski as well as how they pieced things back together.
Video: Why was Messi annoyed with Lewandowski?
Video: How did Messi and Lewandowski make peace?
All's well that ends well, hey?
You can understand why Messi didn't necessarily return the high five in the first place with tensions running high in a match where anything and everything could have had a huge impact.
But it was nonetheless good to see that the two superstars, who clearly have a lot of respect for one another, were more than happy to chat and exchange formalities once things had cooled down.
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Now, Lewandowski and Messi will turn their attention to their respective round of 16 matches as Argentina and Poland look to make the quarter-finals by overcoming Australia and France.
However, no matter how those games might play out, it's just great to have two of the finest players in the men's game striding onwards into the business end of the 2022 World Cup.
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