Lionel Messi scored from the penalty spot and created one of Julian Alvarez’s two goals as Argentina beat Croatia 3-0 on Tuesday to reach their second World Cup final in eight years.
The two-time world champions, backed by a huge majority of the crowd at the Lusail Stadium, produced their best display of the tournament to ensure they will meet the winners of Wednesday’s semifinal clash between holders France and Morocco in Sunday’s final.
The 34-year-old who suffered defeat to Germany in the 2014 final, is desperate to crown his extraordinary career by winning his first World Cup and bringing Argentina a third title to add to those won in 1978 and 1986.
And after getting his team on the way to victory with a perfectly struck first-half penalty he made sure of the win by brilliantly creating the third goal.
Croatia, runners-up in Russia four years ago, paid the price for some untypically poor defending as they went out in the last four for the second time after their 1998 loss to France in their maiden tournament.