Messi

Lionel Messi recorded an incredible assist on his no-look pass to Nahuel Molina in the 35th minute for the 1–0 lead. Follow along.

Di two kontris dey meet for World Cup eight years afta dem bin play di semi final game for 2014 World Cup, wia Argentina win via penalty shootout.

Dem bin win di competition for di first time in 1978 when no semi-finals dey. No semi-final stage dey for 1974 and 1978 wen dem reach di final. - Messi don score 789 goals for 1,000 official games for club and country in all competitions. 49mins: Cody Gakpo swing cross into di box, but e too close to Emiliano Martinez. Argentina convert all four penalties, including dia first one by Lionel Messi. Argentina triumph 4-2 for one penalty shootout after a goalless 120 minutes. German Pezzella enta for Cristian Gabriel Romero Nicolas Tagliafico enta for Marcos Acuna. Di pressure much. Netherlands 0-1 Argentina 63mins: Lionel Messi attempt to threaten di goalkeeper from di free kick on di edge of di box. Netherlands 3-4 Argentina Lionel Messi score for Argentina Steven Berghuis miss for Netherlands Leandro Paredes score for Argentina Teun Koopmeiners score for Netherlands Gonzalo Montiel score for Argentina Wout Weghorst score for Netherlands Enzo Fernandez fail to score for Argentina Lautaro Martinez score di final goal for Argentina

Lionel Messi now has the most assists on record in the knockout rounds of the World Cup finals, surpassing Pele's four.

That is why you give the ball to Messi and pray. In your own half, close to the centre-circle, on the flanks, 30 yards away from the opposition goal, from a ...

Give it to him and pray. Giving it to him and praying. They look to him and pray. Give it to Messi and pray. It’s all coming down to these singular moments in time. Give it to him and pray as adrenaline takes over. Alexis Mac Allister sees it and channels the ball into that zone. Guillermo Ochoa is slightly off his line as he traps and takes aim. That is why you give the ball to Messi and pray. Mexico have made them look ordinary and Australia almost took affairs to extra time. Argentina dust off the trophy cabinet and add silverware for the first time in 28 years. [Rio de Janeiro](https://www.footballparadise.com/baila-brasil-baila-can-this-world-cup-be-saved/) gleams and smiles on a midsummer night as chants of ‘Campeones!

Lionel Messi might be the greatest soccer player of all-time, but World Cup success has alluded him through his career. The superstar arrived in Qatar ...

Even in the twilight of his career, Messi is still capable of doing things no one else on the planet can dream of. It’s like Messi has X-ray vision. That’s what Messi did here. The tactical cam view can help you appreciate just how precise Messi’s pass was. Messi authored another signature moment in the round of eight game against Netherlands on Friday with an amazing assist on Argentina’s first goal. Lionel Messi might be the greatest soccer player of all-time, but World Cup success has eluded him through his career.

Lionel Messi has set a new World Cup assists record. Messi is the first player to assist five goals in the knockout stages since Opta began recording such ...

Watch the goal from Lionel Messi that gave Argentina a two-goal lead against the Netherlands.

Lionel Messi had a no-look pass to Nahuel Molina in the first half of the Argentina-Netherlands match that resulted in a goal. It was a spectacular play ...

After getting the assist to put Argentina up 1-0, Lionel Messi decided to put one in the back of the net himself after his side was given a penalty kick in ...

Messi was never going to make a mistake from the spot, and he’s made his presence felt in this match. It was a tough call on Netherlands initially as Marcos Acuna made his run down the left side of the pitch. The star made no mistake from the spot and got the crucial second goal of the match, putting Argentina up 2-0 and seemingly in the 2022 World Cup semifinal.

Lionel Messi drew level with Gabriel Batistuta at the top of Argentina's all-time FIFA World Cup scorers list with a goal against the Netherlands in the ...

The game eventually ended in a 2-2 draw after Wout Weghorst came off the bench to score twice in the second half. He scored a goal each against Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Australia. He previously assisted Nahuel Molina in the 35th minute.

Argentina's Lionel Messi will hope to make it to the World Cup semi-finals for just the second time by defeating Netherlands in Qatar.

By his own his standards, there’s certainly room for improvement but Argentina will hope his strike in the round of 16 has opened the floodgate as they go in search of a first World Cup trophy since 1986. 90 minutes played. The World Cup knockout stages haven’t been especially kind to Messi, and Argentina, over the years; could that be about to change in his last ever tournament? Messi has already broken records at this World Cup. Whether that’s true or not is also up for debate but a World Cup trophy – and a memorable World Cup moment like Bergkamp’s – would certainly be the crowning glory of a wonderful career. Is there any doubt that Messi is one of soccer’s greatest ever players?

Lionel Messi led Argentina to a quarterfinal victory over the Netherlands in a penalty kick shootout. Messi had a goal, an assist and scored in the shootout ...

The Netherlands came in to this quarterfinal unbeaten in their last 19 international matches. And then, in the 73rd minute, Messi made his presence really known when he lined up to take a penalty kick. Number-three Argentina was determined to win and avoid being the second upset of the day when [Croatia defeated top-ranked and tournament favorite Brazil](https://www.npr.org/2022/12/09/1141848122/croatia-brazil-fifa-world-cup-quarterfinal-qatar). In the 35th minute, Messi somehow threaded the ball through three Dutch defenders to Nahuel Molina. The 35-year-old is one of the finest to ever play the game. Argentina got on the board first thanks to Lionel Messi, of course.

Messi converted his penalty in the shootout and Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez saved two attempts. Lautaro Martinez scored the clinching penalty. The ...

Two more wins, and a large proportion of the soccer-loving global public won't just be calling Lionel Messi one of the best of this generation, ...

All rights reserved. 'We'll be happy in the long run,' says Brendan HuntFrance legend Thierry Henry reportedly 'keen' on coaching USMNT World Cup FIFA Men's World Cup Cup FIFA World Cup - Goals

Lionel Messi turned in another brilliant performance as Argentina reached the World Cup semi-finals with victory over the Netherlands.

The Besiktas striker delivered in spades. Emiliano Martinez then took center stage, saving the Netherlands' first two efforts to put Argentina in control. What a day to be an Argentina fan!

Argentina soccer star Lionel Messi conjured up a passing lane for his side where no such one existed to set up a Nahuel Molina goal.

And yet, Messi still threaded an inch-perfect pass through to Nahuel Molina, who took the ball in stride with a great first touch before finishing with his second touch for Argentina’s opening goal. Lionel Messi invents a passing lane for one of the best assists of the World Cup The latest wizardry from the Argentina star came in the first half, when he conjured up a passing lane for his side’s opener where no such lane existed.

The Argentine superstar is one of soccer's most dangerous scorers. But he spends most of his time on the pitch moving slowly in a small space.

Making up 51.8% of his time on the field, Mbappe’s slow movement rate is second among the attacking players left in the World Cup. As well as conserving their energy, their pacing is partly a function of how their teams defend. Except in Messi’s case, it’s more of a cubicle. Among the 24 most attacking-minded players left in this World Cup, the average rate of time at that slow pace is just 37.4%. In his twilight years, Messi’s economy of movement has become even more pronounced. The 5-foot-7 genius, wearing shorts that reach down to his knees, paces the pitch with his shoulders stooped and his arms at his sides. Cristiano Ronaldo has only operated at below seven kph 43% of the time—at least when he’s not on the bench. He perks up, revs the engine, and starts to motor into the spaces where he can do maximum damage. A Wall Street Journal analysis of player-tracking data from the World Cup finds that there isn’t any player left in this tournament who walks the walk quite like Messi. Messi remains one of soccer’s most dangerous scorers because, at 35 years old, he can still do things on the ball that most players can scarcely imagine. Messi’s percentage is far and away the highest. But that amounts only to a couple of minutes per game.

Lionel Messi became the player with the most assists on record in World Cup knockout matches on Friday, surpassing Pele when he teed up Nahuel Molina's goal ...

Lionel Messi's quest to win the World Cup moves into the semifinals after Argentina beat the Netherlands 4-3 in a penalty shootout.

with acting as a foreign agent. says he was a spy from Russia.](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/03/29/russian-spy-brazilian-student-washington/) MORE COVERAGE

Lionel Messi and Emi Martinez have criticised the performance of referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz in Argentina's World Cup quarter-final against the Netherlands, ...

It is a team that has been working with the same coach for a long time and they know each other very well.” [Messi](https://theathletic.com/4002578/2022/12/16/pochettino-messi-argentina-world-cup/) told Argentine sports channel [TyC Sports](https://twitter.com/TyCSports/status/1601348579632635904) that Lahoz was “not up to the task” of managing the quarter-final. When we have to defend, we do it too.” When we have to play, we play. (The match) didn’t have to end that way. [Argentina edged out the Netherlands on penalty kicks after a dramatic and bad-tempered match](https://theathletic.com/live-blogs/netherlands-vs-argentina-world-cup-2022-live-score-updates-result/43Ja5NtwGtuk/) which saw Lahoz hand out more than a dozen yellow cards.

Lionel Messi stepped it up when Argentina needed him most, turning in a MOTM performance in their round of 16 win over the Netherlands.

Messi is now just a couple of wins away from winning his first-ever World Cup title, and that’s without a doubt the most important thing right now. [December 9, 2022] The game went scoreless in the two extra periods, which means that penalties had to decide a winner. He came up with an amazing assist for the opening goal following a blistering run against the Dutch defense. He did just that on Friday with an epic Man of the Match performance against a relentless Netherlands side. [heartbreaking penalty shootout loss](https://clutchpoints.com/world-cup-news-croatia-breaks-the-hearts-of-brazil-fans-everywhere-as-twitter-explodes) to Croatia.

The match finished 2-2 after extra time, with Lionel Messi scoring one goal and setting up another. The Netherlands equalized in the 11th minute of ...

Weghorst took a touch, held off his marker and slotted home a finish on the stretch. It is only the second time Argentina has reached the last four since 1990. The match finished 2-2 after extra time, with Messi scoring one goal and setting up another.

Lionel Messi may no longer be what he was, but he showed that he can do everything to drag Argentina to glory -- the good, the tough and the ugly.

[Frenkie de Jong](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/219022/Frenkie-de-Jong) in his wake by running across the edge of the penalty area before spotting full-back Molina out of the corner of his eye and instantly released the defender with a reverse pass into the penalty area. But Messi's pass was similar to that of his great predecessor against Brazil at the 1990 tournament, when Maradona held off a pack of defenders before playing a pinpoint pass for Claudio Caniggia, who scored to win the game. A few years ago, as he entered shooting range of goal, he would put his foot on the gas and go for it, but on this occasion, he knew that he couldn't get through a packed Dutch defence on his own. Whether it is with silk or steel, Messi is keeping his and Argentina's hopes alive. It needs the Messi factor and his ongoing pursuit of the achievement that would give him equal status with Diego Maradona in Argentine hearts. You can see it at times when he shuffles away from an opponent with a swerve or feint, rather than the burst of pace he once possessed at his absolute peak. After all, football at the highest level should be about moments of fantasy, of images that last a lifetime, and Messi delivered one of those with the stunning reverse pass to Molina. It ended a bad-tempered game, with 11 Argentina bookings, two mass confrontations between both sets of players and some provocative, goading celebrations at the end by Argentina in front of their beaten opponents. Prior to Messi's game-changing contribution, the Dutch were threatening to suffocate this encounter with their passive, risk-averse football. Genius can take you only so far, especially if your team is as flawed as Messi's [Argentina](/soccer/team?id=202), but the fairy-tale story can still have the perfect ending. But let's put the brakes on the fantasy, for now. [Croatia](/soccer/team?id=477) on Tuesday.

Lionel Messi had to dig deep after his Argentina side blew a two-goal lead before beating Netherlands on penalties to keep his World Cup dream alive, ...

Every time he got the ball in the first half, a trio of Dutch defenders tried to form a wall around him in an effort to make him pass as soon as possible, but like every defensive tactic thrown at him, it only works for so long. Register for free to Reuters and know the full story Leading 2-0, it all went wrong for Argentina as journeyman striker Wout Weghorst pulled a goal back for the Dutch, and then added a cheeky, brilliantly worked second on the stroke of full time to make it 2-2 and drag Messi and his team into deep, deep waters.

Messi and Argentina advance to the World Cup semifinals against Croatia after defeating the Netherlands on penalty kicks in the quarterfinals.

He continued: “It was a very hard match form the beginning. So when [Lautaro Martínez](https://www.foxsports.com/soccer/lautaro-martinez-player), the fifth shooter, put his shot into the back of the net, Argentina was on to the semifinals and a meeting with Croatia, which eliminated Brazil on penalty kicks in Tuesday’s other semifinal. After the loss, he confirmed he was stepping down from the Dutch national team. And though he won the Golden Ball as the most valuable player in that tournament, it was a prize he cradled dejectedly as Germany’s players accepted their winners’ medals. It is something very positive when you see the whole team wanting to take a penalty. It’s the fourth time Argentina has advanced to a World Cup semifinal. The goal was Messi’s 10th in World Cup play, two more than Maradona. More important, they sent the game to extra time, the fourth knockout game in this tournament to extend beyond 90 minutes. “Our objective is to play all seven games,” he said. And he has largely carried Argentina there himself, scoring or assisting on six of the team’s nine goals, including playing a role in both scores Friday. But he won a World Cup, which is why there’s a religion in Argentina named after him while Messi doesn’t even have his own church. But if he’s to retire as the greatest player of his generation, he needs to win soccer’s biggest prize.

Lionel Messi said he felt "disrespected" by Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal after Argentina's thrilling World Cup quarterfinal win.

"Argentina shows game by game that we know how to play. "Croatia is a great team. "We suffered, but we are playing a World Cup quarterfinal. "We deserved to go through and that's what happened." Added Martinez: "I thought we controlled the game really well. He just wanted them to score, that's basically it, so hopefully we don't have that ref anymore.

Messi produced one of the moments of the World Cup with his reverse pass for opening goal but Argentina needed penalties to make semi-finals.

[Denmark](https://theathletic.com/football/team/denmark/) in the knockouts. In the end, it was [Australia](https://theathletic.com/football/team/australia/). Indeed, it was Fernandez who hit the post in the final seconds and came so close to sending Argentina through. It left them at risk of not qualifying for the next phase and, as runners-up in their group, Argentina drew eventual winners [France](https://theathletic.com/football/team/france/) and went out in the round of 16. For Gakpo, it showed the respect he has earned during this World Cup. The through ball from Messi to the onrushing Molina was in the exact space that Ake vacated. They then shared a quick fist pump and got on with the game. Otamendi should have already been thankful that his initial foul in the 91st minute was not punished by the subsequent Koopmeiners free-kick. But he kept his nerve in the shootout, as did his team-mates, and Martinez did the rest. He had only been on the pitch 12 minutes (plus 10 added on). Maradona’s assist was even better — check it out on YouTube — but it’s that same ability to occupy defenders, even when you appear to be having a quiet game, and then produce a moment of utter brilliance to break the deadlock. But nobody produced a touch like the one from Messi that split the Netherlands defence for the opening goal.

LUSAIL, Qatar (AP) — Lionel Messi started the match by delivering another soccer clinic. The Argentina superstar ended it sporting a bloodied top lip, ...

We thought we were going to win the penalty shootout.” Messi delivered a mesmerizing piece of skill and vision to set up the opening goal for Nahuel Molina in the 35th minute. The loss ended the 71-year-old Van Gaal’s third stint in charge of the Netherlands. It deceived the Argentine defense as Weghorst took a touch, held off his marker and slotted home a finish on the stretch. Martinez’s saves were from attempts by Van Dijk and Steven Berghuis, after which he pulled his shorts high and danced a jig. It is only the second time Argentina has reached the last four since 1990.

Lionel Messi went as far as to suggest that there could have been some divine intervention involved in Saturday's win – from Argentina icon Diego Maradona.

[World Cup](https://www.foxsports.com/soccer/2022-fifa-world-cup): [Lionel Messi moves one step closer with Argentina's dramatic win over Netherlands](https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/lionel-messi-moves-one-step-closer-with-argentinas-dramatic-win-over-netherlands) [World Cup Daily: Argentina, Croatia survive day of drama](https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/world-cup-daily-argentina-croatia-survive-day-of-drama) [Netherlands vs. "Leo was very important – he showed why he is the best player of all time," Scaloni said. Next, they'll play [Croatia](https://www.foxsports.com/soccer/croatia-men-team), which beat [Brazil](https://www.foxsports.com/soccer/brazil-men-team) [via that method earlier in the evening ](https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/brazil-ousted-on-pks-as-croatia-pulls-off-dramatic-stunner)( [Tuesday at 2 p.m. But the Albiceleste rallied during extra time, and [eventually won the match on penalty kicks](https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/lionel-messi-moves-one-step-closer-with-argentinas-dramatic-win-over-netherlands) thanks to keeper [Emiliano Martínez](https://www.foxsports.com/soccer/damian-martinez-player)’s two saves. Before joining FOX Sports in 2021, he was a staff writer with ESPN and Yahoo Sports and he has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams at multiple FIFA World Cups. "I know him I have a very good relationship with him," Scaloni said of Lahoz. Messi, on the other hand, wasn’t impressed with the performance of the Spaniard, who issued a World Cup-record 15 yellow cards. When the match went to the tiebreaker, the coach had no shortage of options. "When I had to decide the order of penalty takers," Scaloni said. It was a tough match and the Dutch team caused some trouble for us especially in the second half. "We have a weight off our shoulders," Messi said afterward. Messi went as far as to suggest that there could have been some divine intervention involved – from Argentina icon Diego Maradona.

LUSAIL, Qatar (AP) — Lionel Messi started the match by delivering another soccer clinic. The Argentina superstar ended it sporting a bloodied top lip, ...

We thought we were going to win the penalty shootout.” The loss ended the 71-year-old Van Gaal’s third stint in charge of the Netherlands. Messi delivered a mesmerizing piece of skill and vision to set up the opening goal for Nahuel Molina in the 35th minute. It deceived the Argentine defense as Weghorst took a touch, held off his marker and slotted home a finish on the stretch. Martinez's saves were from attempts by Van Dijk and Steven Berghuis, after which he pulled his shorts high and danced a jig. It is only the second time Argentina has reached the last four since 1990.

But after coming together to win Messi's first international tournament in the 2022 Copa America, could the team be developing enough grit to hold things ...

Even the petulance that saw Argentina pick up nine yellow cards is a necessary fight to advance in a knockout tournament. He scored a brace in the match sending the match into stoppage time. After Marcos Acuna drew a penalty in the 71st minute, Messi was then able to convert from the spot to double the advantage. The team didn't make things easy dropping a 2-0 advantage to the Netherlands, conceding twice in the final minutes, but Messi did everything that he could in the match. The Word Cup is the one thing missing from Messi's illustrious trophy cabinet but after defeating the Netherlands in a penalty shootout on Friday in the quarterfinals, Argentina are now two wins from reaching the goal. In other tournaments, the supporting cast of the Argentina national team has found a way to let him down in big moments.

Former Germany defender Holger Badstuber was effusive in his praise for Lionel Messi after Argentina edged out an ill-tempered World Cup quarter-final.

Messi reacts to you with the ball on his foot. Croatia has grown even closer as a team thanks to its victory over Brazil, is brimming with self-confidence and is definitely not a surprise team in the final four - especially because of the great quality in midfield. He puts the ball on his left foot and is gone. With the ball at his feet, he is almost invincible anyway.” He spoke about being mesmerised by his incredible skill on the ball. And the chance for it this year is greater than it has been for a long time.

This Argentina side resemble the 1990 one that Diego Maradona dragged to a World Cup final in Italy. Lionel Messi is doing the same in 2022, but can he keep ...

Messi at this stage of his career walks through games (nobody has walked more at the tournament), opting when and where to pick his moments, sizing up the right situation to make an impact. There are echoes of the 1990 side about this 2022 team; nine decent players surrounded by one very good player (Claudio Caniggia in ’90; Angel Di Maria now) and one contender for the ‘greatest of all time’ label (Diego Maradona in ’90; Messi now). With banks of defenders in front of him, he revved through the gears, going on that all-too-familiar diagonal run across the line of opposing defenders.

DOHA, Qatar (AP) Whether it was in the rule book or not, Lionel Messi was going to do just about anything to get to the World Cup semifinals.