Julian Alvarez scored two goals and Lionel Messi converted a penalty kick to help Argentina rout Croatia 3-0 in the semifinals on Tuesday in Doha, Qatar, and secure its place in the World Cup final.
Messi opened the scoring from the spot in the 34th minute and Alvarez tallied five minutes later on a solo run to give Argentina a commanding 2-0 lead heading into halftime. Alvarez put the game away in the 69th minute on an assist from Messi.
Messi became Argentina’s all-time leading goal scorer in World Cup history, passing Gabriel Batistuta. Messi now has 11 career World Cup goals, which also ties him for the sixth most in World Cup history. Pele is next on that list, with 12.
It was the fifth goal for the 35-year-old Messi in this World Cup, making him the oldest player to score that many in a single World Cup.
Argentina, looking for its third World Cup title (1978, 1986), awaits the winner of France vs. Morocco in the other semifinal, to be played Wednesday. The championship will be played Sunday. Argentina advances to its sixth final.
–Field Level Media