Argentina vs Croatia LIVE: World Cup 2022 result and reaction as Messi and Alvarez star to book place in final | OneFootball

Messi, Di Maria... Welcome to Rosario, Argentina's champion factory

Lionel Messi starred as he scored one goal, created another and ran the show for a dominant Argentina as they swept aside Croatia 3-0 at Lusail Stadium to book their place in the World Cup final in Qatar.

Messi converted a first-half penalty and had a hand in the other two goals by Julian Alvarez, meaning he will get another crack at winning that elusive World Cup crown, as he set up a meeting with either defending champions France or underdogs Morocco in Sunday’s title match.

Croatia – led by captain and star player Luka Modric playing in possibly his last World Cup match – barely laid a glove on a disciplined, well-drilled Argentina side who may not have always controlled the game but seized their moments when they came and gave their talisman a chance to match his hero Diego Maradona and lift the Jules Rimet trophy.

Messi put them ahead with a 34th-minute penalty after goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic tripped Alvarez and the Manchester City forward then charged 50 metres, somehow keeping possession via two rebounds as defenders tried to tackle him, to poke in the second five minutes later. The little maestro later showed mesmerising control to drive to the byline and pull the ball back for Alvarez to tuck in the third after 69 minutes and wrap up victory.

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Croatia depart as they progressed throughout the World Cup, controlled, calculated and with no cutting edge

Take possession, take control. That has been the maxim that Croatian football has lived by, nine-tenths of the law that this improbably golden generation of players has built their unlikely success upon. But more like six-tenths, to be precise. This is a percentage game, you see, and quite literally so. If Luka Modric, Marcelo Brozovic and Mateo Kovacic have and hold the ball 60 per cent of the time or more, their opponents can only pick at and pierce through their teammates 40 per cent of the time or less.

It is a fair calculation, one that produces moments of truly masterful midfield play between a Croatian triumvirate that are arguably the best practitioners of possession play since Barcelona’s class of 2011. They find the points, lines and angles to keep what they believe is rightfully theirs, almost playing a game of their own to themselves. “When you pass them the ball it is safer than having your money in the bank,” says left-back Borna Sosa. It was a nice metaphor. But every so often, a bank goes bust.

Aesthetically pleasing it may be, but the mistake that an over-commitment to this approach makes is believing that possession equals control, when in fact it can only ever offer a close approximation. There are other percentage plays to make, other bets to take, ones that have a higher upside if they come off.

Michael Jones13 December 2022 21:54

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‘Incredible’: Luis Suarez sends Lionel Messi message after guiding Argentina to World Cup final

Luis Suarez has lauded his friend and Argentina superstar Lionel Messi after booking his place in Sunday’s World Cup final.

The PSG forward inspired a dominant Albiceleste to a 3-0 victory over Croatia, scoring a penalty and then setting up Julian Alvarez’s second goal at the Lusail Stadium.

And former Barcelona teammate Suarez has pleaded with Messi to carry on showing his class on the field ahead of Sunday’s final against France or Morocco.

“Never get tired of showing that you are the best in the world,” Suarez said.

Michael Jones13 December 2022 21:45

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World Cup Golden Boot: Mbappe, Messi and Giroud vie for top goalscorer at Qatar 2022

The Golden Boot is the award given to the player who scores the most goals at a World Cup, and the race is on for the prestigious prize at Qatar 2022.

Previous winners include France legend Just Fontaine, who scored 13 in 1954, a record tally at a single World Cup which still stands; Portugal’s Eusebio, who scored nine goals in 1966; England’s Gary Lineker, who scored eight goals in 1986; Ronaldo, who scored eight as Brazil won the 2002 World Cup; and the current England captain Harry Kane who scored six goals last time out in Russia.

Fifa hands out a gold, silver and bronze prize for goalscorers. Previously players with the same number of goals would share awards, but nowadays they are split by tie-breakers: first, who scored the fewest penalties; then who collected the most Fifa-approved assists; then who has played the fewest minutes.

The race is on to win the 2022 World Cup’s Golden Boot

Michael Jones13 December 2022 21:37

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Who is left in the World Cup 2022? Finalists confirmed

The 2022 World Cup is reaching its denouement as 32 nations began on 20 November aiming to lift the Jules Rimet trophy in Doha on 18 December.

Despite the many off-field issues around the tournament in Qatar, the group stage threw up plenty of thrills and spills, with Argentina losing to Saudi Arabia going down as one of the greatest shocks of any World Cup in history. Japan also stunned Germany, while Spain and England racked up goals in statement opening wins.

That continued in the knockout stages with a number fo surprise results and now we are tantalisingly close to finding out who will be able to call themselves 2022 World Cup champions

Here are the teams left in the competition:

Who is left in the World Cup 2022? Finalists confirmed

The teams through to the final of the Qatar World Cup - and those going home

Michael Jones13 December 2022 21:34

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How Argentina’s other 10 helped their No 10 into the World Cup final

Ten other people took the field in Argentina shirts, nine the Albiceleste, one a green goalkeeping kit. Ten other people charged with not ruining the final chapter of one of the great footballing lives. Ten other people demoted to the ranks of the supporting cast in the biggest game of their lives.

Now 10 other people will start the World Cup final. Each can seem an afterthought, a footnote amid a global fixation. Win and they make be captured in the background of a picture of Lionel Messi celebrating. Lose and they have the potential to be scapegoats.

That Messi’s 16-year quest to win the World Cup reaches the end game owes something to the 10 other people. To Emi Martinez, for his penalty saves against the Netherlands. To Julian Alvarez who exerted a decisive, destructive impact with a double to defeat the obdurate Croatians. To Enzo Fernandez, the other breakout star of their tournament, whose ball from deep released Alvarez to win the penalty for Messi’s opener. It was nevertheless Messi who converted it, producing a spot kick that even Dominik Livakovic could not save.

Michael Jones13 December 2022 21:31

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FT Argentina 3-0 Croatia

At 22 years and 316 days old Argentina’s Julián Álvarez is the youngest player to score twice in a World Cup semi-final or final since Pelé for Brazil in 1958 - he was 17 years and 249 days old.

Michael Jones13 December 2022 21:28

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How Argentina outmanoeuvred Croatia’s magic midfield to reach the World Cup final

For the third time in as many knockout games, Lionel Scaloni shuffled his system, altered his defensive approach and ensured Argentina had the tools to win a game at the World Cup 2022.

Considering his relative inexperience as a decision-maker in coaching setups, the attacking talent available in the squad and the massive pressure on him to bring overdue success to the nation, Scaloni has shown admirable insight and earned all-important buy-in.

It’s not even necessarily tactical brilliance from the head coach, but rather an innate appreciation of which of his players can perform the roles he wants against each opponent - and, clearly, the ability on the training pitch to transmit that effectively.

Michael Jones13 December 2022 21:25