The little master got up again, and he was not better this World Cup. Lionel Messi (35) led the Argentina national team in the semi-finals of the World Cup in Qatar on Tuesday evening with a goal and an assist past Croatia: 3-0. Messi can win the only missing main prize on his honors list in the final battle against the winner of France – Morocco on Sunday. “Messi, Messi, Messi,” tens of thousands of Argentines chanted in the stands in Qatar.
Messi is certainly not alone in his mission to conquer the World Cup. After four failed attempts in Germany, South Africa, Brazil and Russia, he is fighting for his last chance in Qatar. National coach Lionel Scaloni has been working for four years to build the ideal team around the superstar. Messi is the linchpin of a team with goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez and nine footballers who want to let their star shine. After a false start against Saudi Arabia (2-1 loss), the team slowly grew in the tournament.
Argentina reached the quarter-finals via Australia (2-1 win), in which it defeated the Netherlands in a fighting match after penalties. That duel gave Messi and his team an extra boost ahead of the semi-final against Croatia – the 2018 vice world champions, who had defeated Argentina 3-0 four years ago. That was one of Argentina’s most painful defeats at a World Cup. Messi has not often felt as humiliated as he did back then.
88,966 spectators
Place and time were now completely different. The Lusail Iconic Stadium, Tuesday night, in the newly built ‘World Cup City’. The first semi-final of the World Cup attracted 88,966 spectators. Argentina against Croatia was also Messi against Luka Modric (37). Two fantastic playmakers competing in Qatar for their last chance to become world champions. Nearly one for Messi mustit was much less expected of Modric given his country’s stature on the global football stage.
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After a slow start to the game, in which both teams gave each other little space, Messi single-handedly broke open the game in the 34th minute. Modric, of all people, was at the basis of Argentina’s first good attack with a loss of possession. Enzo Fernández released Julián Álvarez with a splitting pass for goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic, who brought down the young Argentine striker. penalty kick.
Messi almost rammed in a perfect penalty from eleven meters. He hit hard and high with his left. ‘The flea’ celebrated his fifth goal of this World Cup with the frenzied Argentinian supporters in the stands, who continuously praise him affectionately in all kinds of songs. Messi’s love is mutual. He wants nothing more than Sunday in the same stadium together with his people to win the third world title La Albiceleste to celebrate.
Argentina distanced themselves from Croatia five minutes after the opening goal through Álvarez. Messi’s buddy, who forms a two-man attack with him, got the ball in the mix and made it 2-0 in the 39th minute. Messi embraced his 22-year-old teammate. The other eight Argentine football players celebrated the party of the two attackers. It went much more smoothly than national coach Lionel Scaloni had estimated beforehand.
Most Valuable Player
Messi played his best game in Qatar so far. The number 10 presented himself as the true leader of the team that Scaloni built around him. In his 25th game at a World Cup – a record he now shares with Germany’s Lothar Matthäus – Messi made old-fashioned dribbles, played free teammates with through passes and scored for the 28th time from a penalty kick for Argentina. It was his eleventh goal at a World Cup.
Messi capped off an outstanding performance with an assist after he had a 69th-minute spin on Croatian Josko Gvardiol on the right side of the field. He put the ball in the shoes of Álvarez, who made his second of the evening. With the assist and his goal, Messi showed once again that he is not only on paper the man who everything revolves around in Argentina.
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Messi not only scored the most goals during this World Cup, but also shot the most often, created the most chances and is Argentina’s most valuable player in terms of goals and assists (five and three). Modric’s figures are in stark contrast to this. The number 10 in Croatia has zero goals and zero assists after five matches. He may play in the Khalifa stadium on Saturday for third place. A consolation prize that Messi would not settle for.
Messi will go on Sunday for his second World Cup final. Eight years ago he lost the final battle in Rio de Janeiro against Germany. In the coming days, countless Argentine fans from all over the world will travel to Qatar to accompany Messi during his last dance. According to the songs that the Argentinian supporters sing, Maradona, world champion in 1986, is watching from heaven.
A version of this article also appeared in the December 14, 2022 newspaper