Lionel Messi beamed with pride after his magical display inspired Argentina to a resounding victory against Croatia and secured their place in the World Cup final.

One of the greatest players in football history, the 35-year-old put in a man-of-the-match display in Tuesday’s Lusail Stadium semi-final against the 2018 runners-up.

Messi converted a first-half spot-kick and watched Julian Alvarez end a strong solo run with a cool finish, before the skipper showed incredible nous and skill to tee up the Manchester City forward to wrap up a 3-0 win. Argentina will return to Lusail to face France or Morocco on Sunday, when their captain can crown a glittering career with glory in what looks set to be his last appearance on the world stage.

“Well, what I can say is that I am enjoying this a lot,” 35-year-old Messi said with a smile. “I am feeling really good. This is what we’ve been doing in every match. The previous match was a big sacrifice and we went into extra time. That wasn’t easy. Today we were tired but we pulled our strengths to earn this victory.”

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Lionel Messi thrilled after inspiring Argentina to World Cup final place