Lionel Messi continues his bid for the only major trophy missing from his career on Friday evening when Argentina face the Netherlands in the 2022 World Cup quarter-finals.
Argentina were billed as one of the tournament favourites ahead of arriving in Qatar, and after an early setback with the shock opening defeat to Saudi Arabia, the Copa America champions have started to look like contenders.
Messi has been a key reason behind Argentina's turnaround, scoring the opening goal in the 2-0 win over Mexico before a dominant display in the subsequent Group C victory against Poland.
The Paris Saint-Germain superstar, who is expected to begin talks over a new contract with the club after the World Cup, maintained his form with his third goal of the tournament in the 2-1 win over Australia in the last 16.
As Messi himself said, Argentina are preparing for an "even tougher" match against the Netherlands on Friday when two giants of world football go head-to-head at the Lusail Stadium.
Ahead of the match, Messi and his Argentina teammates put the final touches on their preparations with a training session at Qatar University on Thursday evening.
Check out the best photos from the training session in the gallery above. To move on to the next photo, click on the arrows or swipe if using a mobile device.
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RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,200m
Winner: Ferdous, Szczepan Mazur (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer)
5.30pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-3 Group 3 (PA) Dh300,000 2,400m
Winner: Basmah, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
6pm: UAE Arabian Derby Prestige (PA) Dh150,000 2,200m
Winner: Ihtesham, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
6.30pm: Emirates Championship Group 1 (PA) Dh1,000,000 2,200m
Winner: Somoud, Patrick Cosgrave, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
7pm: Abu Dhabi Championship Group 3 (TB) Dh380,000 2,200m
Winner: GM Hopkins, Patrick Cosgrave, Jaber Ramadhan
7.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Conditions (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
Winner: AF Al Bairaq, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
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The specs: 2018 GMC Terrain
Price, base / as tested: Dh94,600 / Dh159,700
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Power: 252hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 353Nm @ 2,500rpm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.4L / 100km
