A young centre-forward named Julián Álvarez, who has yet to overcome all the outward traits of puberty, paved Argentina’s path to the World Cup final on Tuesday night. In an unreal place called Lusail, where Argentina’s World Cup dream was almost shattered when the side led by Lionel Messi, 35, lost to Saudi Arabia (1-2) in the World Cup opener here, Álvarez, 22, the door to the final with a kilometer-wide run-up powerfully.
The Argentines won 3-0 in the semi-finals against Croatia, Lionel Messi scored one goal (penalty, 34th minute), Álvarez scored twice (39th, 69th). The winner of the match between France and Morocco, which takes place in al-Khour on Wednesday, awaits the Argentines on Sunday.
Messi’s dream of finally clinching the World Cup for his country is more alive than ever. “There are so many things going through my head, I don’t know how to describe my feelings,” said Messi after the game. For Luka Modric, 37, on the other hand, more than one World Cup ends.
Messi converts the penalty with a hard left-footed shot under the crossbar
With the kick-off by the extremely erratic Italian referee Daniele Orsato, Messi made history. He equaled the record of former Germany international Lothar Matthäus, who had been the only footballer with 25 World Cup games until then. But after the game had left the creeping rhythm of the fear of making mistakes, it was not Messi’s hour – but Julián Álvarez’s.
Here and there, the Croatians had scratched the Argentinian goal – for example through a lob by former Bundesliga professional Ivan Perisic (31st), which landed on the net. Shortly after it first seemed that Messi’s lethargy was over as Argentina’s number ten made a few changes of pace for the first time, confusing the Croatians, Julián Álvarez slipped into the picture and turned Croatia’s dream of a second World Cup in a row into a chimera . And that’s despite the fact that he’s only a temporary striker at Manchester City, because a certain Erling Haaland is also employed there.
Ironically, the Croatians, who are considered to be tactically so savvy and defensively so tough, caught two counterattacks. Enzo Fernández, who, like Álvarez, came from the River Plate academy and is now at Benfica, sent Álvarez on a long journey towards the penalty area, Croatia centre-back Lovren batted wide and as Álvarez came face to face with the recently celebrated goalkeeper Livakovic standing, he lobbed the ball past. Livakovic fielded Álvarez, who fell, and Orsato pointed to the spot, for understandable reasons. It protested on the outside line Mario Mandzukic, assistant coach of the Croatians, and saw red for it.
But: Messi converted the penalty with a hard left-footed shot under the crossbar. It was his eleventh World Cup goal overall, which set another record. He is now ahead of Gabriel Batistuta, aka “Batigol”, Argentina’s all-time World Cup goalscorer. But the show briefly grabbed Álvarez – like a postman at the gate, he rang the Croatians’ bell a second time. And this time met in person.
Messi throws hooks until opponent Gvardiol loses his bearings through the slits in his face mask
He received the ball at the center circle. But when he was still in his own half, that is: sixty meters from the generic goal. Álvarez drove the ball in front of him and, apparently finding no one to lean on, just kept running. The longer his run lasted, the more he seemed to remember his comrade Haaland. No force of nature seemed to be able to stop his run with the ball at his feet, two rebounds landed on his body and he didn’t let go until the ball was in the goal to make it 2-0 (35′). Just before the break, Livakovic prevented the 3-0, this time from a header by Alexis MacAllister. But that didn’t stop it from falling. After the break. And after a cartoon duel between Lionel Messi and Josko Gvardiol, or: between the A.Tom ant and a masked man.
It won: Messi. Hook here, hook there, Messi hit it with his left hand and his right hand until Gvardiol became quite disoriented through the slits in his intimidating black face mask. Eventually Messi had scrambled to the baseline so he could put it back on Álvarez. Álvarez pushed in. But everyone knew this would be remembered as Messi’s goal. In a game that was decided with this 3:0. And yet still had room for the beginning of an inevitable nostalgia.
Because: In the 82nd minute, the Croatian captain, 37-year-old Luka Modric, was substituted. He left knowing that his coach wanted to signal two things by making the move: that he was willing to fly the white flag that Argentina were World Cup finalists. And that the moment had come to rise from the seats. For Luka Modric, the Croatian captain and former winner of the Ballon d’Or award for the best footballer in the world in 2018. He made his debut against Argentina in 2006 and who knows if it will be his last on Tuesday game played for Croatia. Because on Saturday, the 2018 World Cup runner-up only has to face the thankless game for third place. The signs anyway, they looked like farewell. Because Modric, a giant in the history of football in his country and in Europe, he left in tears.