Dreaming of winning the World Cup, Lionel Messi put in his best performance in his last tournament as he thrashed Croatia 3. Defeated 0-0, Argentina reached the last talisman of this football season where it will face either France or Morocco. The comeback that Argentina made after their unexpected loss to Saudi Arabia in the first match is nothing short of a fairytale. During the match, Messi bent over and clutched his left hamstring causing panic among the football world and especially Argentina fans.
Will this superstar of football leave the semi-finals midway, this question flashed in everyone’s mind. But Croatia’s luck was not so good. Messi not only played but did his best in a record 25th World Cup match. He scored a penalty and assisted on two of Julián Álvarez’s goals. With that, Messi and Argentina supporters around the world were immersed in celebrations that will now stop with Sunday’s final. Messi said after the match, “There is a lot going on in my mind.Very emotional moment. Such support from fans and family, throughout the tournament. this is wonderful. We reached the final and that is what we wanted.
This will be Messi’s second and last World Cup final. Earlier in 2014, Argentina was defeated by Germany. Now he has a golden chance to bid goodbye to football with the title. The way in which Messi, at the age of 35, with finesse and artistry handed the ball to Álvarez for the second goal in the 69th minute, told the story of his confidence and skill. So far in this World Cup, he himself has scored five goals in six matches. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni could not hold back his tears after the match.
He said, “I feel proud to have coached him and seen him play. He inspires other players, fans and the whole world. ”Croatia’s dream of reaching the final for the second time in a row ended when they conceded two goals in five minutes from the 34th minute. First Messi converted the penalty and then Alvarez scored the second goal. It was also the last World Cup match for 37-year-old Luka Modric, Croatia’s star midfielder who beat Japan and Brazil on penalties in the knockout stages.
He was replaced by another player in the 81st minute. Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic said, “The first goal took the match in the other direction. This is the Messi everyone wants to see.” Argentina maintained their record of never losing a World Cup semi-final and reached the final for the sixth time. Messi’s name has become the most for Argentina in the World Cup with 11 goals. He broke the record of Gabriel Batistuta. He also equaled Germany’s Lothar Matthäus’s record of playing the most matches in the World Cup, 25. Alvarez, on the other hand, has four goals, one behind Messi and Kylian Mbappe. He is the second youngest player since 1958 to score two goals in a World Cup semi-final. Pele did this feat in 1958 at the age of 17.
