FIFA WC: Argentina reach final, Lionel Messi going to play last World Cup game

Argentina beat Croatia 3-0 in the FIFA World Cup semifinal to reach the final as Lionel Messi’s lifelong dream of guiding his team to WC glory remains alive as the star footballer is going to play his last World Cup game.

For the first 30 minutes of the semifinal match, Croatia were the ones controlling the tempo, moving the ball around, trying to break up the Argentinian set-up.

This pensiveness was not surprising as Croatia beat the South Americans 3-0 in their 2018 World Cup encounter.

Messi spent most of the first half hour of the match walking around, appearing to be in no rush, his body language not giving much away.

But, just as when Argentina faced Mexico and then against the Netherlands, Messi’s moments of magic were coming.

Croatia were in a confident mood looking to reach back-to-back World Cup finals and become the first team since Brazil in 2002 to do so.

But the Argentinian left-footer, who has won the Ballon d’Or seven times, had different plans. On the night that he joined German footballer Lothar Matthaus as joint holder of the record number of World Cup appearances at 25, Messi capped his landmark match with a memorable performance against Croatia.

After Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic fouled Julian Alvarez, Argentina’s all-time record goalscorer stepped forward and coolly dispatched the penalty. It was Messi’s fifth goal in this tournament, and he was not finished. He smelled blood and soon went on the rampage, Al Jazeera reported.

Then the chants began and the thousands of Argentina supporters clad in sky blue and white started singing Messi’s name.

Five minutes after scoring the penalty, Messi headed the ball to the lively Alvarez, who went on a mazy run before hitting the back of Croatia’s net.

Alvarez secured the victory with Argentina’s third goal in the second half following a wonderful Messi assist, providing the South American team and its 35-year-old captain with a chance to banish the demons of the 2014 final defeat, as well as securing the country’s first World Cup title since 1986, CNN reported.

Messi’s near superhuman powers are undoubtedly dwindling as he plays into the twilight of his career, but the little magician still has the ability to deliver moments of genius just when his country needs him most.

After the final whistle, Argentina’s players stood in front of the huge wall of blue and white shirts and took in the adulation of their adoring fans.

It is almost impossible to believe that this is the same team that lost 2-1 to Saudi Arabia just three weeks ago in its opening group stage match – a performance so insipid and devoid of inspiration that it left some wondering whether Argentina would even make it out of the group.

Now, against either France or Morocco, Messi will have one final chance to lift the trophy he craves the most.

In Messi and Croatia’s Luka Modrić, both captains have led their countries in losing World Cup finals and this would be the last chance for both to get their hands on football’s most coveted prize.

Neither side featured among the tournament favourites ahead of Qatar 2022, but Croatia stunned the world four years ago in reaching the final and did so once again in the previous round in Qatar, eliminating pre-tournament favourite Brazil on penalties in a display of sheer grit and determination.

Argentina, written off by many as inferior to other World Cup contenders, wasn’t supposed to make it to the final match in Qatar, but a determined and single-minded Messi has helped ensure that it has.