Lionel Messi ensured Argentina didn't implode. The World Cup is so much better for it.

LUSAIL, Qatar -- If Lionel Messi is to yet assistance the World Cup, helium is doing it the hard way. Genius tin lone only you instrumentality you truthful far, particularly if your squad is arsenic flawed arsenic Messi's Argentina, but the fairytale communicative tin inactive person the cleanable ending.

It mightiness adjacent hap with the eventual pay-off enactment of Cristiano Ronaldo being connected the different broadside with Portugal (should they look from the broadside of the bracket that includes France, England, and Morocco) erstwhile it does. But let's enactment the brakes connected the fantasy, for now.

After 80 minutes of the quarterfinal against the Netherlands astatine the Lusail Stadium, everyone watching could person been forgiven for getting carried distant with the Messi communicative -- that Qatar 2022 would extremity with the 35-year-old getting his hands connected the 1 large trophy helium has yet to win.

Messi had produced his champion show of this World Cup -- and it was magical -- to enactment Lionel Scaloni's squad 2-0 up and seemingly cruising into a semifinal against Croatia connected Tuesday. The Paris Saint-Germain guardant had created Nahuel Molina's first-half opening extremity with a walk of sublime prime earlier doubling Argentina's pb from the punishment spot connected 73 minutes.

The closing stages should person been connected cruise control, but Wout Weghorst scored doubly -- an 83rd infinitesimal header and past by finishing disconnected 1 of the champion and cleverest free-kicks you are apt to see, 11 minutes into stoppage time, to gully the Dutch level. And that wasn't successful the script. Messi's communicative truly shouldn't person been turned into a nightmare by a elephantine centre-forward who was signed by Burnley to support them successful the Premier League past season. A task helium failed to manage, scoring conscionable doubly successful 20 games.

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Craig Burley can't judge the Netherlands pulled disconnected specified an audacious escaped footwear successful the 4th last of a World Cup.

But conscionable arsenic 1 of football's astir glittering careers looked acceptable to beryllium denied its imagination ending by a journeyman striker for a mediocre Dutch team, the sporting gods switched backmost onto Messi and Argentina's broadside arsenic the Copa America champions held their nervus to triumph a punishment shoot-out, with Messi scoring the archetypal successful a 4-3 win.

It ended a bad-tempered game, with 11 Argentina bookings, 2 wide confrontations betwixt some sets of players and immoderate provocative, goading celebrations astatine the extremity by Argentina successful beforehand of their beaten opponents. But determination is truthful overmuch emotion and desperation successful this Argentina team, possibly successful Messi, truthful the disfigured scenes successful triumph mightiness conscionable beryllium understandable.

And erstwhile the particulate settles, possibly this World Cup needed an Argentina win, contempt the negativity astatine the end. Afterall, shot astatine the highest level should beryllium astir moments of fantasy, of images that past a lifetime, and Messi delivered 1 of those with the stunning reverse walk to Molina.

Prior to Messi's game-changing contribution, the Dutch were threatening to suffocate this brushwood with their passive, risk-averse football. Coach Louis van Gaal has bristled astatine disapproval of his tactical attack from the Dutch media -- 1 newsman told the Netherlands manager that watching his squad was similar "grinding teeth" -- but it had taken them to the brink of a semifinal clash with Croatia (who earlier ousted Brazil connected penalties successful an arsenic memorable match), truthful Van Gaal cannot beryllium criticised for attempting to get the astir from his constricted squad.

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The World Cup quarterfinal isn't the archetypal clip Wout Weghorst has pulled his clever free-kick trick.

But conscionable ideate a World Cup semifinal betwixt the Netherlands and Croatia connected Tuesday, with Messi watching from afar and Argentina and their unthinkable supporters backmost home, inactive waiting to extremity their 36-year hold for a 3rd World Cup triumph. That is not what this World Cup needs. It needs the Messi origin and his ongoing pursuit of the accomplishment that would springiness him adjacent presumption with Diego Maradona successful Argentine hearts.

It needs Argentina's thousands of fans to capable stadiums with their colour and noise, it needs a South American elephantine to pursuit a archetypal World Cup since Brazil successful 2002 and it doesn't request the Netherlands playing shot retired of an outdated manual, arsenic Messi said aft the crippled of "long balls to gangly players."

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Shaka Hislop says it's "beyond him" however the referee allowed Leandro Paredes to enactment connected the tract aft helium kicked the shot astatine the Netherlands' dugout.

But nary substance what Argentina bash from this constituent on, Messi has astatine slightest fixed america possibly the defining on-field representation of Qatar 2022 with his walk to Molina. Messi's legs nary longer determination arsenic rapidly arsenic his superb mind. You tin spot it astatine times erstwhile helium shuffles distant from an hostile with a swerve oregon feint, alternatively than the burst of gait helium erstwhile possessed astatine his implicit peak.

But Messi knows his limitations and helium has changed his crippled to flooded them. A fewer years ago, arsenic helium entered shooting scope of goal, helium would enactment his ft connected the state and spell for it, but connected this occasion, helium knew that helium couldn't get done a packed Dutch defence connected his own. So helium near midfielder Frenkie de Jong successful his aftermath by moving crossed the borderline of the punishment country earlier spotting full-back Molina retired of the country of his oculus and instantly released the defender with a reverse walk into the punishment area. Virgil van Dijk attempted to foul Molina conscionable arsenic helium changeable astatine goal, but the Liverpool defender couldn't enactment the Argentina disconnected his stride.

Brb watching this walk from Messi for the remainder of the time 😍🎯 pic.twitter.com/5EM4CBwktN

Messi erupted successful joyousness with his teammates. He cannot flight the shadiness of Maradona, who won the World Cup astir single-handedly successful 1986. But Messi's walk was akin to that of his large predecessor against Brazil astatine the 1990 tournament, erstwhile Maradona held disconnected a battalion of defenders earlier playing a pinpoint walk for Claudio Caniggia, who scored to triumph the game. Check it retired connected YouTube and comparison the 2 visionary passes.

But portion Messi's brilliance was connected show with that pass, truthful was his determination and tenacity arsenic Argentina toiled successful extra-time and erstwhile helium showed nerves of alloy to instrumentality the archetypal punishment successful the shoot-out.

Messi whitethorn nary longer beryllium what helium was, but helium showed against the Dutch that helium tin bash everything to resistance Argentina to glory -- the good, the pugnacious and the ugly. Whether it is with silk oregon steel, Messi is keeping his and Argentina's hopes alive. And the World Cup is truthful overmuch amended for it.