Argentina defeated Croatia 3-0 in a dominating performance to secure the first spot in Sunday’s World Cup final.
The two Argentinian forwards — Julián Álvarez and Lionel Messi — were the difference makers for the sky blue in tonight’s match, playing an integral role in all three goals.
First, in the 34th minute, Álvarez was taken down inside the 18-yard box by goaltender Dominik Livaković. The ref whistled Livaković for a yellow card and awarded Argentina a penalty.
Unsurprisingly, it was Messi, playing in his fifth World Cup, who stepped up to the spot. The Argentina captain blasted it with his left foot into the top right corner to give his side the 1-0 lead.
It was Messi’s 11th FIFA World Cup goal and he now owns his country’s record for the most scored in the tournament. With five goals scored in Qatar, Messi is also now a co-leader for the Golden Boot Award given to the tournament’s leading scorer.
Five minutes later, Álvarez pulled off an incredible individual effort to net one of the goals of the tournament.
After racing forward from the opposing end with the ball, he forced his way through the Croatian defense. His initial shot appeared to be blocked but Álvarez managed to get on the end of the rebound and will the ball into the back of the net to make it 2-0 going into halftime.
In the second half, Argentina searched for that third goal to put away Croatia. And it was Álvarez and Messi who delivered again.
In the 70th minute, Messi refused to relinquish possession, dribbling all the way to the opposition’s byline. He found Álvarez inside the box and the 22-year-old converted his second goal of the game and his fourth of the tournament.
With his appearance against Croatia, Messi joined German Lothar Matthäus as the joint record appearance-maker in FIFA men’s World Cup history with 25 matches played.
Argentina will now face the winner of Wednesday’s semifinal match between Morocco and France.
The final will be played at Lusail Stadium, the same venue Argentina defeated Croatia on Tuesday. The attendance at Tuesday’s semifinal was announced as 88,966 – full capacity.
Credit: CNN