Lionel Messi settles Argentina’s nerves in FIFA World Cup

LUSAIL, November 27

Argentina have eased the pressure from their shock opening World Cup defeat at the hands of Saudi Arabia by beating Mexico yesterday and can now approach their final group game against Poland with peace of mind, captain Lionel Messi said.

Argentina beat Mexico 2-0 thanks to second-half goals from Messi and Enzo Fernandez to climb to second place in Group C, a point behind Poland. “It’s a weight off our shoulders,” Messi said. “We have peace of mind and it’s back in our hands again.”

Mexico’s high press blunted the Argentina attack in the first half before Messi’s sublime 64th-minute strike eased the pressure on his side, who would have been eliminated from the tournament if they had lost.

“I think the first half was difficult due to the situation and our need to win,” Messi added. “We couldn’t find space. We weren’t moving the ball from side to side. But in the second half we started doing what we stand for. We started to find space between the lines and then the goal changed the game. We needed to win but the game had to be played this way. We had to win to give everyone peace of mind and to be able to approach the Poland game in a different way.”

Immense pressure

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni acknowledged that his team had been under immense pressure before the match and that the overwhelming feeling after the win was one of relief.

“We should have more common sense. It’s just a football game,” he said. “It’s not good, the feeling that you’re playing something more than a football match. The feeling that we all had was relief.” — Reuters

Dance of victory

A shirtless Lionel Messi sang and danced with team mates beyond midnight into Sunday after leading Argentina to an emotionally-charged win over Mexico that revived his dream of a first World Cup title. The dressing-room party scenes — Messi bouncing with both arms in the air, goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez dancing on a table — showed just how much this tournament means to Argentina and their captain in his fifth and final chance to lift the trophy.

Big crowds

Messi played in front of 88,966 spectators yesterday when Argentina beat Mexico 2-0, the largest attendance at a World Cup match in 28 years. The Lusail Stadium, which will stage the final on December 18, hosted the most people at the World Cup since the 1994 final in the United States, according to FIFA. There were 91,194 people at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, to see Brazil beat Italy in that penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw. ap

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