This will be the Ballon d'Or winner's second World Cup Final in three tournaments after his national team beats Croatia 3-0, with the 35-year-old scoring the first goal.
- Dec 14, 2022
AceShowbiz - Lionel Messi led Argentina to World Cup Final after Tuesday, December 13 match against Croatia. Fans of Argentina national team were overjoyed after the 35-year-old forward and his teammates defeated Croatia 3-0 in the semi-final at Lusail Stadium.
Messi helped boost the fighting spirit of his teammates with his opening goal. He opened the scoring through a 34th-minute penalty before Julian Alvarez grabbed another. Manchester City forward Alvarez then added the third after the half-time break with an assist from Messi.
It marked Messi's 11th World Cup goal to surpass Gabriel Batistuta's Argentina record. He now also ties the record with Germany's Lothar Matthaus after making his 25th World Cup appearance.
Speaking of his personal and his team's impressive performance, which was a far cry from their first match in the tournament during which they lost to Saudi Arabia 2-1, Messi said after winning over Croatia, "I would say that the first match was a hard blow for all of us because we had been unbeaten in 36 matches. To start in such a way in a World Cup was a blow, we did not think we would lose to Saudi Arabia. It was an acid test for this whole squad but this squad proved how strong we are."
"We won the other matches. It was very difficult what we did because every match was a final and we were aware if we did not win things would be complicated for us," he continued of their journey in the 2022 World Cup so far. "This is a mental load because we knew things would be more complicated for us. We managed to win five finals and I hope it will be this way for the final game."
"Internally we were confident that we would make it because we know what we are capable of as a squad. We lost in the first match due to fine details but it helped us to be stronger," he explained. Devouring their latest victory, he said, "Let's enjoy this moment. It's great to see the joy in our fans here and in Argentina. We are going to give all that we have in the final but also need to enjoy what we achieved."
"I am enjoying this moment a lot," he further shared. "We feel strong before the game even after a very long last game, the previous one wasn't easy at all. We were tired but the group brought its energy on the pitch to face this game."
This will be Messi's second World Cup Final in three tournaments and Argentina's sixth time in the final. They have won two World Cup finals, one in 1978 and another in 1986. They will face either France or Morocco, which will play in the second semi-final on Wednesday.
Following the result of the Tuesday match, fans raved over Messi's performance, with former England national team player Jamie Carragher gushing on Twitter, "#Messi the best there has ever been!" SPORTbible tweeted, "From the moment it started, it's been a blessing to watch Lionel Messi's career," while people of Argentina chanted his name on the streets.
