By NewsBits
Messi puts on a masterclass as Argentina outfaced Croatia in a 3-0 thrilling win. Messi makes it all the way to the penalty box, and as he nears the near post on the right side, he sees Alvarez slightly open. The number 10 slips also assisted two quick passes to Alvarez who was able to slot past the Croatian goalkeeper twice to put Argentina into the World Cup final.
Just like Diego Maradona stamped himself indelibly on Argentina’s 1986 win in Mexico and Brazil striker Ronaldo wrote a redemption story in Yokohama in their 2002 triumph, this will be known as Messi’s World Cup if he inspires victory against either France or Morocco in the final.
Argentina’s campaign in Qatar opened with the ignominy of what is still this World Cup’s biggest shock, when they lost to Saudi Arabia. But the manner in which the master Messi and his apprentice Julian Alvarez swept aside Croatia in their 3-0 semi-final win delivered an ominous warning that they are reaching the sort of perfect crescendo their fans were still hitting in Lusail Stadium long after the final whistle.
So, it is all back to the space-age Lusail on Sunday to see if Argentina can win a third World Cup in their sixth final, and whether the player some label the greatest the game has ever seen can finally get his hands on the prize that has remained tantalisingly out of his reach.
