For Lionel Messi, the coronation of glory calls. While Argentina’s eyes were focused on a third triumph at the World Cup, it was impossible to ignore their leader. It shouldn’t just be about him. There were other stars in blue and white stripes, most notably Julián Álvarez. But when Messi plays like this and with the power of the narrative around him, it can certainly feel that way.
Messi was irresistible, overwhelming. He got Argentina going with a coolly converted penalty – his fifth goal of the tournament, which put him level with France’s Kylian Mbappé in the race for the Golden Boot – and was involved early in the second killer by Álvarez.
But Messi made sure to provide the lasting memory, saving his stunner for midway through the second half to end any thoughts of a Croatia comeback; an assistance that came from a higher plane.
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He took the ball low on the right flank and shot past Josko Gvardiol, the acceleration belying his 35 years. He slowed and went again but Guardiol, one of the best defenders in the tournament, would recover. So Messi scored, back to his rival. I needed to find another way.
And so he dropped his right shoulder and turned left, flicking the ball around Guardiol with his left boot, showing it, almost teasing him, but never letting him get close enough . Messi took a hit to and along the byline before pulling back for Álvarez, who did the rest. Guardiol was powerless.
Some numbers are relevant because they seem to track Messi’s every breath. It was a record 25th World Cup appearance for him and his 11th goal in the competition was an Argentine record. His assistance gave him eight times in the world, the same as Diego Maradona. But it is what Maradona did in the 1986 tournament that Messi wants to emulate.
Argentina celebrates at the end of a dominated game to reach its sixth World Cup final. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
Messi has done almost everything. Eleven league titles. Four Champions Leagues. America’s Cup. Seven Golden Balls. He has now scored 791 goals in his career, 96 of them with Argentina. A World Cup, however, is the CV gap that burns. Could it finally be his time?
Croatia has lived on the edge, close to exiting the group stage; struggling to beat Japan and Brazil on penalties in the knockout rounds. The 2018 finalists have routinely gone to overtime and beyond; they never know when they get hit. This country of 3.9 million people has defied the odds time and time again. . . but not here
It was Argentina’s sixth World Cup semi-final and they have yet to lose one. Once Alvarez scored the opener, it looked like a huge ask for Croatia and a symbol of their broken resilience came in the 81st minute when Zlatko Dalic replaced talisman Luka Modric. It wasn’t his night.
Lionel Scaloni was able to lead the delirious Argentina fans behind one of the goals after stoppage time and the manager could reflect on getting his tactics right. He went with a narrow but flexible 4-4-2, in which the full-backs were encouraged to push high and wide. He provided the platform for Messi to go, his teammates filling the gaps around him, and also to put runners in behind, especially Alvarez. Croatia came to be stifled, their full-backs supported.
It was an uncharacteristic loose touch from Modric that Argentina capitalized on to open the game, Enzo Fernández sending Alvarez galloping away from Dejan Lovren. It was surprising to see how much space Alvarez had, and although he couldn’t finish, Lovren cleared his chip again, only to be blocked by goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic, who made no attempt to play the ball. Messi was never to miss the spot.
Julián Álvarez celebrates his second goal and Argentina’s third after being set in motion by Lionel Messi’s magical run. Photograph: Lars Baron/Getty Images
Croatia had wanted a corner from their earlier move when Ivan Perisic’s shot appeared to deflect off an Argentinian limb. They were outraged when the penalty was awarded. Mario Mandzukic, the assistant coach, received a red card.
A 1-0 deficit has tended not to be a problem for Croatia. In each of their previous knockout games of this World Cup and the last they had conceded first. They would win on every occasion, except in the final against France. But the 2-0 was more problematic.
What a terrible goal it was for Croatia to concede, caught in another quick transition after Argentina had been awarded a corner. Messi got there before Marcelo Brozovic and when Álvarez took possession just before the halfway point, he simply pushed forward.
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Runs from Rodrigo De Paul and Nahuel Molina helped and when Álvarez dropped his shoulder on the edge of the box, he got a break from Josip Juranovic. Borna Sosa couldn’t adjust his feet, failed to clear the mark and Álvarez enjoyed the conversion from distance.
Messi radiated menace, always alive to the killer pass. At 2-0 he began to really enjoy himself, surprising with the adhesiveness of his touch, the wild sharpness of his turns. Argentina almost scored again before the break, Alexis Mac Allister extending Livakovic with a free header for a corner. The rebound almost went wide of Juranovic. Mac Allister would go close to a fourth for Argentina in the end.
Dalic broke through at the start of the second half, introducing Mislav Orsic on the left and Bruno Petkovic as a second striker, switching to a 4-4-2. But Croatia would create little clear cut and were vulnerable on the break. Messi almost went in when he exchanged passes with Fernández. The stage was set for his final splash of magic.