Is Messi winning the World Cup for Argentina inevitable? (1:48)Sam Marsden explains why he thinks Lionel Messi will finally get his hands on the World Cup trophy after Argentina eased into the final. (1:48)
AL DAAYEN, Qatar — Knockout tournaments like the World Cup generally require you to finish strong, unlike, say, a league format where you can build up a big lead at the start and hobble first across the finish line. Argentina evidently got the message. On the night that Lionel Messi scored his 11th World Cup goal (surpassing Gabriel Batistuta for most in the country’s men’s tournament history) in his 25th World Cup match (equaling Lothar Matthaus) they reached their sixth World Cup final in the most convincing way possible.
Argentina came out for their pre-match warmup with the swagger of a pro wrestler, as the Lusail Stadium DJ played Rodrigo’s “La Mano de Dios,” the homage to Diego Maradona set to a “cumbia” beat. And, as with a pro wrestler’s entrance music, the mostly Albiceleste crowd dutifully popped.
Big entrances, though, mean little when they are not backed up by big performances. Argentina had, in fact, been getting better as the tournament wore on. Apart from the third group game against Poland, though, they had failed to put together a 90-minute performance, letting a two-goal margin slip against the Netherlands in the quarterfinals (they eventually advanced on penalties) and nearly doing the same against Australia in the round of 16.
– World Cup 2022: News and features Bracket