Lionel Messi is, once again, carrying the hopes of a nation in what will be his last World Cup.
The Argentina star, now playing at his fifth and final tournament, has been unable to capture the trophy during his glittering career. His status in world football has long seen him hailed as his country's leading light, but a final defeat in 2014 is the closest he's come thus far.
Messi and his compatriots were stunned in their World Cup opener, losing 2-1 to Saudi Arabia, which dented their hopes. They responded with a 2-0 win over Mexico as the PSG star netted a stunning opener to put them back in the hunt in Group C. Enzo Fernandez, who plays his club football for Benfica, scored Argentina's second and an old letter written by the 21-year-old has re-emerged. It came back in 2016 when Messi announced his international retirement after another tournament near miss.
