For Lionel Messi the crowning glory beckons. As Argentina’s gaze zeroed in on a third World Cup triumph, it was impossible to ignore their leader. It should not only be about him. There were other stars in blue and white stripes, most notably Julián Álvarez. But when Messi plays like this and with the power of the narrative around him, it can surely feel that way.
Messi was irresistible, overwhelming. He got Argentina up and running with a coolly converted penalty – his fifth goal of the tournament, taking him level with France’s Kylian Mbappé in the race for the Golden Boot – and he was involved at the beginning of the killer second for Álvarez.
