Lionel Messi stands on the brink of history, or perhaps destiny, one step away from the fulfilment of a dream.
Messi will become the most capped player in World Cup history in Sunday’s Final against France or Morocco, when the greatest footballer in the history of the game has the opportunity to win its biggest prize at his fifth and final attempt.
Whatever happens back at the Lusail Stadium — immortality or eternal heartbreak — it will be one of football’s most compelling narratives ever. But as Argentina’s other Lionel, manager Scaloni, put it after last night’s 3-0 win over Croatia: “There’s nothing left to say about Messi.”
Far better to focus on someone about whom much fewer words have been written, Scaloni himself, the mastermind of another historic win.
With Messi in the side, it would be easy to dismiss Scaloni’s role as easy, redundant even, but on Sunday the 44-year-old rookie will be aiming to succeed where Jose Pekerman, Diego Maradona, Alejandro Sabella and Jorge Sampaoli all failed by guiding the little magician to glory.
Scaloni has ensured Argentina recovered, emotionally and tactically, from their shock defeat by Saudi Arabia, and proved last night what an astute tactician he is, outfoxing Croatia’s Zlatko Dalic, just as he did Louis van Gaal in the quarter-final.
Scaloni’s most inspired piece of management has been to find the perfect foil for Messi in Julian Alvarez, who scored twice and won the penalty, emphatically dispatched by his captain, as Argentina swept aside a toothless Croatia in their most complete performance here.
Lautaro Martinez, not Alvarez, started Argentina’s first two games and was widely tipped as a potential Golden Boot winner, but Scaloni soon made Manchester City’s £14million signing Messi’s new apprentice. Alvarez is now a history-maker himself, the youngest player since Pele to score twice in a World Cup semi-final and joining Maradona and Mario Kempes as the only Argentines to do so.
The 22-year-old is a tireless runner, more than happy to do his idol’s pressing and provide the movement for Messi to exploit.
After a typically controlled start from Croatia, Alvarez made the breakthrough, bursting through a wide-open defence and onto Enzo Fernandez’s pass, where he was clattered by goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic. His first goal, and Argentina’s second, was remarkable, a driving run from inside his own half, via touches from both Croatian full-backs, before he eventually bundled home from close range. Admittedly, it was less Diego Maradona, more Diego Cuesta Silva (the celebrated Argentine rugby union player, for those asking), but still testament to Alvarez’s skill and exuberance. City have a gem.
The first-half goals were also a credit to Scaloni, who set up his side to absorb the stifling pressure of Croatia’s pass-masters, Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic, and break directly and at speed. Afterwards, Messi revealed they were fully prepared for Croatia’s threat and knew how to exploit weaknesses.
Scaloni dropped the back-five he used against Holland and introduced an extra midfielder in Leandro Paredes to press Croatia’s technicians. While the legendary Modric and Kovacic were still eye-catching, Argentina were ferocious without possession.
Scaloni has proved impressively adaptable, starting the six games with no fewer than three different formations and happy to tweak mid-game. He has coped with the loss of key men, Giovani Lo Celso before the finals, and Angel Di Maria in the second game, and now faces another huge test against either the world champions or Morocco, both of whom present unique challenges.
Argentina’s final goal went beyond Scaloni, tactics and even Alvarez, the scorer. Messi picked up the ball on halfway and turned Josko Gvardiol inside out before squaring from the byline to Alvarez. The 50,000 Argentines in the ground, who had witnessed their side make hard work of 2-0 leads over Holland and Australia, could finally relax, and there was dancing on the streets of Buenos Aires and beyond.
Messi has now produced two of the finest assists in World Cup history, including his no-look pass for Nahuel Molina in the quarter-final, in the space of two matches. For all the statistics about him, his greatness is about moments, not numbers.
He leaves an enduring mark on anyone lucky enough to witness him live, just as he is leaving an indelible mark on this World Cup, which is why so many are rooting for him to deliver the ultimate moment and crowning glory of his career come Sunday.
