Recap: Argentina vs Croatia – World Cup 2022 - Al Jazeera Semifinal Win :: Argentina3-0 Croatia

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Recap: Argentina vs Croatia – World Cup 2022

Messi scores one and sets up two as Argentina beat Croatia 3-0 to reach the World Cup 2022 final.

Lionel Messi celebrates scoring his side's first goal from the penalty spot [Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera]

Argentina have beaten Croatia 3-0 at Lusail’s Iconic Stadium to claim a place in the World Cup final on Sunday.

Messi makes history with penalty

After half an hour of directing the game, Croatia lost control. Ivan Perisic failed to catch Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez off the line, the counter was sprung, the players hurtled down the pitch, and Julian Alvarez found himself one-on-one with Croatia’s goalkeeper, Dominik Livakovic.

In a split-second, Livakovic came off his line and into the path of Alvarez, setting up a collision. Livakovic reached for the ball and challenged the player. He could not make contact with the ball, but did with Alvarez. Foul. Yellow card for the keeper. Penalty for Argentina.

Lionel Messi — who else? — stepped forward and delivered a truly unstoppable strike. His eleventh goal at a World Cup took him past the great Gabriel Batistuta’s Argentinian record for most World Cup goals.

Messi leads Argentina to World Cup final in 3-0 win over Croatia

Argentina’s talisman and captain was in sparkling form during his side’s semifinal clash at Lusail Stadium.

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His searing strike saw him become Argentina’s all-time World Cup top scorer with 11 goals before Alvarez took matters into his own hands to add a second five minutes following a scintillating 50-metre solo run.

The pair combined again for Argentina’s third goal in the 69th minute when Messi toyed with Croatia’s Josko Gvardiol out wide before driving past him into the box and laying on a pass for Alvarez to slot home.

Croatia, for all their control of the ball, were toothless throughout and registered just a single shot on target.

The 2018 runners-up paid the price for some atypically poor defending as they went out in the last four for the second time after their 1998 loss to France in their maiden tournament.

It marked a disappointing end for the team’s array of experienced stars, most notably captain and instrumental midfielder Luka Modric who, at 37, is unlikely to take part in another World Cup.

Argentina eye third World Cup win

Argentina will now look to land a third world crown after victories in 1978 and 1986. They last appeared in a final in 2014, when they were beaten 1-0 by Germany.

Clinching the trophy would also elevate seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi to the mythical status that the late Diego Maradona enjoys in the South American country.

The final could mark his last appearance at the World Cup, with the Paris Saint-Germain forward having hinted the 2022 edition will be his last.

It could yet be the perfect way to go out for a player widely regarded as one of the game’s finest ever players, if not the best.

Lionel Messi was magnificent against Croatia [Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera]

“A lot is going through my head – it’s very emotional seeing all of this,” Messi said in a post-match interview on the field as he looked up at Argentina’s celebrating, scarf-waving supporters.

“To see the fans – ‘the family’ – during the whole tournament was so incredible. We’re going to the final, which is what we wanted.”

Argentina will face either defending champions France or surprise package Morocco, the first Arab and African country to make it to a World Cup semifinal, on Sunday.

France and Morocco play each other on Wednesday at Al Bayt Stadium. The final will be played at the 88,000-capacity Lusail Stadium.

Croatia fans watched on with dismay as their side was dismantled by Argentina’s attacking brilliance during Tuesday’s match [Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera]

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES

World Cup win for Lionel Messi is only a ‘matter of time’

From Bangladeshis to Bahrainis, the Argentinian superstar’s fans are in Doha praying their hero will lift the World Cup.

Doha, Qatar – When 18-year-old Abdur Rahman stepped inside Lusail Stadium ahead of Argentina’s quarterfinal against the Netherlands on Friday night, he broke down. And at the first sight of Lionel Messi warming up on the pitch, his heart began pounding.

It had been Rahman’s biggest dream: to see Messi play ever since he first became familiar with modern football’s biggest name in 2010.

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“I began following Messi [on television] at the 2010 World Cup, when I was six,” Rahman told Al Jazeera, pausing to collect his thoughts. “I could never imagine I would be inside the same stadium and be breathing the same air as him one day.”

The engineering student from Bahrain said he had been saving money for six months for this day. He came prepared with a Messi T-shirt, an Argentina flag tied around his neck and painted on his cheek, and “Oh Argentina Vamos” on his lips.

“I love the Argentina team and I feel like I’m one of them so I have learned their anthems and practiced their celebrations,” Rahman said before standing up to wave and sing with thousands of Argentines around him.

.Argentina have had some of the biggest support inside stadiums during this World Cup. That’s partly the luck of the draw — they’ve played most of their matches at Lusail Stadium, the biggest venue for the tournament, which can seat nearly 89,000 people. But while most of their supporters have Messi’s name and number 10 on their backs, they don’t all come from the same country or even the same continent.

Muhammad Adil and his Messi-loving family are from Kerala, India. They landed in Qatar just hours before the quarterfinal.

Adil and his three siblings, carrying a large Argentina flag, got seats behind the goal. After more than two hours of high-octane action that included four goals, 17 yellow cards, one red card, an on-field brawl and a penalty shootout, Argentina prevailed.

The siblings were overjoyed.

Reference

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