Argentina advanced to the World Cup final following a 3-0 semi-final victory against Croatia at Lusail Stadium.
Messi’s penalty shot sailed into the top right corner in the 34th minute. Messi set up Álvarez for the second goal in the 39th minute. Julián Álvarez added the third goal after halftime in the 69th minute making it his 5th goal in the tournament.
Argentina has competed in 18 World Cups, including the current tournament in Qatar. Argentina has won two World Cups and placed second thrice (1930, 1990, 2014.). However, the team has not won a championship in nearly forty years. Its first victory occurred in 1978 when it defeated the Netherlands 3-1, and its most recent victory came in 1986 when it was led by Diego Maradona to a 3-2 victory against West Germany in Mexico City. Argentina has never won the World Cup under Messi’s reign, and the 35-year-old hopes to make this his first victory.
It is Croatian Luka Modrić’s last World Cup. Modrić is a Ballon d’Or winner of 2018 and is a key player for Real Madrid since 2012. Croatia was last World Cup’s finalist.
Argentina is set to face either France or Morocco in the final.
Malini is an Indian Newslink reporter based in Auckland.
