Lionel Messi has been proclaimed the ‘GOAT’ by Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher after his incredible performance in Argentina’s 3-0 FIFA World Cup semi-final win over Croatia.
La Albiceleste will head into Sunday’s (18 December) final to face either reigning champions France or Morocco.
Messi, 35, is just 90 minutes away from sealing his legacy and winning the last trophy that evades him – the FIFA World Cup.
He was at his very best throughout Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Croatia, getting on the scoresheet to move level with Kylian Mbappe as the tournament’s top goalscorer.
That goal came from the spot in the 34th minute after Julian Alvarez went down under a challenge from Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic.
The Paris Saint-Germain frontman smacked the ball into the top-hand corner of Livakovic’s net.
Alvarez then added a second in the 39th minute, but there was Messi magic on display for the South American’s third.
The Barcelona great took the ball on the right-flank and fooled rising star Josko Gvardiol into attempting a tackle before pulling away and finding Alvarez in the box.
The Manchester City youngster placed past Livakovic in the 69th minute to seal a memorable win for Argentina.
Messi had two shots on target, pulled off five successful dribbles, and created two big chances.
Carragher reacted to the Argentina captain’s performance by tweeting:
“Messi𓃵 the best there has ever been!”
#Messi𓃵 the best there has ever been!
Lionel Messi breaks more records for Argentina at the FIFA World Cup
The records keep on coming for the irrepressible Lionel Messi.
He moved ahead of Gabriel Bautista as La Albiceleste’s top scorer in FIFA World Cup competition with 11 goals in 25 appearances.
Messi made his 25th appearance which took him level with Germany icon Lothar Matthaus for the most amount of caps earned by a player at the World Cup.
The Argentine skipper joined Brazil and Germany’s legendary strikers Ronaldo Nazario and Miroslav Klose as the players with the most goal contributions since 1966 (19).
He also equalled Brazilian icon Pele for the most goal contributions and became the oldest player to score five goals in one FIFA World Cup campaign.
Leo Messi: “Argentina is, once again, in the World Cup final. Enjoy!”
These records are a testament to the masterful Messi’s extraordinary talent.
However, there is still a final to play, and his legacy as the greatest player of all time is possibly at stake against either France or Morocco.
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