Final mile to glory

Six World Cups. Three finals. One Leo Messi.
What more can a five-foot-seven magician do? It has been very apparent from the get go how important this World Cup has been for Lionel Messi.
He cried. He shouted. He beat his chest out of adrenaline. He did all of it while having a World Cup trophy at home.
England came prepared. So did Argentina. The clash of ages was more than just a game. It was going to be brutal. It was going to be nonchalant. It was going to be history. More than anything, it was going to be a definitive answer to a lot of questions.
Thomas Tuchel, with that German pedigree, had to seize the moment of a lifetime. In front was Messi—the probable winner of the GOAT debate and an Albiceleste troop that is ready to give life for the plaque.
However, the British drew first blood when Anthony Gordon put one past Emiliano Martinez to get a very enthusiastic lead that would have turned out to be the ultimate difference maker.
However, Lionel Scaloni had other plans. He was also standing at a feet’s distance from making back-to-back World Cup finals. A lot was on his plate already when England dropped down to bus-park a 1-0 lead against such an Argentine side. One would assume it as a “grave mistake” from the tactical point of view from the British dugout, but the men in navy-blue was soon going to turn the assumption into a fact.
Argentina then did something that can be held as a masterstroke by many. Previously, he started Giuliano Simeone, which was a decisive move from a tactical point of view. The message was rather simple for him—not to score but to make the British sweat!
Later on, Scaloni made defining changes, at arguably the right times in rather quick succession.
Timely introduction of fresh legs in Nico Gonzalez, Gonzalo Montiel, Rodrigo De Paul, Nicolas Otamendi and finally, the match-winning scorer Lautaro Martinez, in place of Leandro Paredes, Nahuel Molina, Simeone, Lisandro Martinez and Nicolas Tagliafico; the task was simple – to snatch the win from a tired English squad.
From a bus-parking base, it was becoming very apparent that England were playing for a clean-sheet. But when the clock moved past the 80-minute mark, it felt like the play was only scheduled for England’s D-box as English attack was hardly seen. Cross after cross, shot after shot, the bulldozer from the Argentine side was imminent as there seemed to be no looking back.
Finally, the deadlock was broken by the Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez who, after a couple of attempts from long range, testing Jordan Pickford to his best abilities at times, put a curvy one past the English keeper in the left corner from a Messi assist.
The world sensed a major comeback; a comeback for the ages. As it was Argentina, who scored thrice in 14 minutes against Egypt in the round of 16 clash at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, fans were not hesitant this time.

The renewed life gave more fuel to the Argentine setup, as the crosses and passes didn’t stop coming. The leverage was detrimental for England as Messi and his men kept the bullets incoming, resulting in the English forward line dropping down significantly.
In a vast array of motivated Argentine soldiers, the lead didn’t delay coming. In the initial stage of the nine-minute stoppage time saw a weak-footed lofted Messi cross, matching with a decisive header from Lautaro, and then a moment that the whole world, somehow, perhaps, anticipated.
Argentina took a lead in under 10 minutes. The score line seemed far from real as the fast heartbeats slowly started to calm down. Few more minutes to hold on and then the world can see the defending champions at the grandest stage, once again.
As soon as the final whistle was heard, it felt as if the football gods smiled back at Leo. With two more assists to his name, he helped Argentina climb to another final of a World Cup.
Leo, with his ability to turn a game on its head, did not hesitate this time as well when he stopped the goldware from going home!