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Lionel Messi was on fire as Argentina secured their spot in the semi-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup with a penalty shootout win against the Netherlands on Friday, 9 December. He was lauded by fans on Twitter for the masterclass.
Messi looked like a man on a mission as he was calm and composed from the first minute of the game. The Argentine captain was the creator-in-chief when Nahuel Molina opened the scoring for the Albiceleste in the 35th minute of the game. The Argentine maestro found a pass that didn't seem to exist.
Marcos Acuna was brought down in the second half inside the Dutch penalty area. Messi stepped up to take it and found the side of the net, leaving Andries Noppert rooted to his spot.
Wout Weghorst pulled one back for Louis van Gaal's side in the 83rd minute of the game. It was a sumptuous header from the on-loan Besiktas striker. However, more drama unfolded when Weghorst found the equalizer in the 11th minute of injury time.
The game proceeded to extra time. It remained a stalemate despite a late scare from Lionel Scaloni's team and penalties followed. Virgil van Dijk and Steven Berghuis' efforts were saved by Emiliano Martinez.
Despite Enzo Fernandez's miss, the Albiceleste advanced to the semi-finals and will play Croatia. Messi also scored in the shootout, sending Noppert the wrong way.
Fans were convinced that this was the single greatest performance of Lionel Messi's World Cup career. Here's how they reacted after the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) attacker led his team to the last four of the 2022 FIFA World Cup:
Lionel Messi equaled Gabriel Batistuta's Argentina record during FIFA World Cup quarter-final win vs. the Netherlands
Apart from his team's win, the game was a record-breaking one for Lionel Messi on a personal note. He has now scored 10 goals in FIFA World Cups, across five editions since 2006.
The little magician is now level with Gabriel Batistuta as Argentina's all-time top scorer in the tournament. It has taken the PSG striker 24 games to score 10 goals while Batistuta scored this many goals from 12 games.
Messi will have to build on that number and break Batistuta's record as he returns to the pitch against Croatia on 14 December. Regardless of the outcome of that clash, the Albicelste will play one more game in the tournament.
