This was Argentina’s first goal: from Julián Álvarez’s penalty to Lionel Messi’s great goal, which is a record

The goal with which Lionel Messi opened the account before Croatia meant to become the top scorer of the Argentina national team at the World Cup (11 goals) and it was the corollary of a play born as a defensive action and which had a quick pass to reach the rival goal.

The game started from the bottom, with a start from Nicolás Otamendi and a pass -by means of a deflection- towards the center for Enzo Fernández while Giuliano Alvarez pricked into the void The attacker controlled the ball in motion and wanted to define the goalkeeper’s desperate exit to one side Dominik Livakovicwho cut it down and cut it off.

because the referee Daniel Orsato didn’t expel Dominik Livakovic? Because even if he stopped the game with a foul – hence the admonition – he hasn’t been the last man since Joško Gvardiol he had covered the space before the goalkeeper’s exit and effectively prevented the ball from entering the goal.

Subsequently, Lionel Messi pocketed it from the left corner: it was a very strong left foot, unassailable for Livakovic, who had been Croatia’s hero in the series against Japan and Brazil, to reach the semi-finals.

Another record smashed by the captain

Messi scored after 34 minutes to break the tie with Croatia and beat the former striker Gabriele Omar Batistutawhich he had achieved against the Netherlands, also from a penalty.

The 35-year-old star is playing his 25th World Cup match against the European Championship, which also accounts for German Lothar Matthäus’ achievement as the most appearances in this type of tournament.

The ‘Pulce’ is playing in his fifth World Cup, the same brand as the legendary German, after making his debut in Germany in 2006 and also being in 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022 consecutively.

For his part, Matthäus began his career in the World Cup in Spain in 1982 and then played in the 1986, 1990 _was champion_, 1994 and 1998 editions.

Earlier in Qatar, Messi had already passed Diego Maradona as Argentine player with most World Cup games (21), in victory over Poland.