Messi magic propels Argentina against Australia

Argentine superstar Lionel Messi scored yet again on Saturday.

The 35-year-old striker scored his 789th goal of his illustrious career during the match. Argentina went on to win the match against Australia 2-1 on the night. The World Cup knockout round matchup was his 1,000th appearance overall.

Messi opened the scoring for his team in the 35th minute of the game. After a set piece failed to impact, the star pounced on the ball, slotting it into the bottom corner of the net.

The perfectly placed shot put Argentina up 1-0 in the game.

Superstar approaches goal record

While he has scored a plethora of goals throughout his career, Saturday’s goal was Messi’s first goal in the knockout rounds of the World Cup.

Despite low production late in the competition, Messi now has nine career World Cup goals.

That is now the second most of all Argentina players. Only Gabriel Batistuta has more goals in the competition for Argentina.

However, Messi can tie, or surpass the legend in his next game.

It could be said that the South American team has become too dependent on Messi in recent years. Argentina’s defense previously hampered any chance of World Cup success during the 2018 tournament.

The team was sent packing after allowing four goals to eventual champions France in the knockout round of the competition.

The current team seems ready to compete

However, this team certainly seems to be more complete. The only goal for the Australians on the night came from a strong deflection from Enzo Fernández in the second half.

Argentina also showed that they could win without a goal from Messi in their previous group game.

However, Messi’s undeniable magic should make Argentina a formidable force for the remainder of the tournament.

Soccer is certainly a team sport, but special teams almost always have a superstar stepping up when needed. Messi and company will look to keep up the momentum against the Netherlands on Friday.

Photo Credit: IMAGO/PA Images