Mesmerising Lionel Messi simply produced magic, while Julian Alvarez provided the spark as Argentina left their fans spellbound marching into the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 final with a resounding 3-0 win over Croatia at the Lusail Stadium on Tuesday. A capacity crowd of 88,966, with the exception of a sparse Croatia support, was treated to delightful football by Argentina as the side kept Messi’s dream alive taking a commanding step closer to the World Cup trophy. There were fears when Messi stretched and clutched the top of his left hamstring 19 minutes into the match. But the iconic number 10, recovered after a spell at walking pace, as if miraculously, to inspire Argentina to stay in the hunt of a third World Cup triumph. Such was the dominating show of Argentina that Croatia were simply swept off their feet.
— Vinay NayuduSports page 1