Messi’s moment again?
Aging star aims to send Argentina into round of 16
Lionel Messi has already come to Argentina’s rescue at the World Cup. He might just have to do it all over again.
Another emotionally charged evening awaits Messi and the soccermad South American nation that worships him when Argentina meets Poland on Wednesday for a match with so much on the line.
For Messi, who’s playing in likely his last World Cup. For Poland striker Robert Lewandowski, who might also be too old when soccer’s biggest tournament rolls around next in 2026.
And for the World Cup as a whole. Because who really doesn’t want to see Messi — one of the game’s greatest ever players — in the late stages of a tournament that is heating up so nicely.
There are multiple scenarios at play for the Group C finale. A win for the Argentines and they’re sure to advance, likely as the group winners. A draw, and they can either finish in second place behind Poland or be squeezed out by either Saudi Arabia or Mexico, who are playing in a match taking place concurrently.
A loss? Well, that just doesn’t bear thinking about for anyone associated with Argentina. The team wouldn’t just be eliminated but humiliated. Messi might never be seen in the Albiceleste’s sky blue-and-white jersey again.
That scenario is too much for Argentina fans to take. It’s why tears were shed on the field, among the technical staff and among the fanbase after Messi scored the crucial second-half goal to set Argentina on its way to a 2-0 win over Mexico on Saturday.
That victory meant Argentina bounced back from its shocking 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia in its opening match and now has a fighting chance to avoiding a first group-stage exit since 2002.
“Now another World Cup has begun,” said Messi, who will hope to score for the third straight match at this World Cup and has netted 13 goals for Argentina in 2022 — already a career-high haul in a single calendar year.
Concerns about the 35-year-old Messi’s health have dogged the seventime world player of the year at the World Cup. But he played the full 90 minutes against Saudi Arabia and also in the Mexico game.
As for Poland, some of the weight is off the 34-year-old Lewandowski’s back after he finally scored a goal at a World Cup in the 2-0 win over Saudi Arabia on Saturday. Now he’s looking to advance beyond the group stage for the first time at a World Cup. Poland hasn’t done so since 1986.
England makes knockout stage:
Marcus Rashford and Phil Foden both scored Tuesday to put England into the last 16 of the World Cup with a 3-0 victory over Wales at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan.
England coach Gareth Southgate opted to add both players in the starting lineup for the team’s final Group B match and they responded with all three goals — two from Rashford and the other from Foden.
England will next face Senegal in the round of 16. Wales finished in last place in the group and has been eliminated.
Southgate had faced calls to freshen up his team after the 0-0 draw with the United States. He brought in Rashford and Foden into a new look attack and it worked.
England had the game wrapped up just after halftime with Rashford scoring from a free kick in the 50th and Foden adding another in the 51st. Rashford got his second after a weaving run in the box in the 68th.
Wales captain Gareth Bale was forced off at halftime with an injury in what may end up the 33-year-old great’s last international match. He leads Wales in all-time appearances with 111 and in goals with 41.
Netherlands beats Qatar, advances:
The Netherlands finished off the worst showing by any World Cup host nation by beating Qatar 2-0 at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor.
The Dutch advanced to the round of 16 by winning Group A, while the Qataris, who were already eliminated, became the first host to lose all three of its group matches at soccer’s biggest event.
Cody Gakpo put the Netherlands ahead midway through the first half with his third goal in as many matches and Frenkie de Jong doubled the advantage five minutes into the second half.
The Netherlands is a three-time runner-up at the World Cup, and also finished third in 2014, while Qatar was making its tournament debut.
The Dutch failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.