Reaction to Argentina’s win over Australia (2024)

Argentina have beaten Australia 2-1 in the 2022 World Cup round of 16.

They will play the Netherlands in the next round.

Lionel Messi opening the scoring in his 1,000th career game and Julian Alvarez added the second.

Australia pulled when back when Craig Goodwin’s shot looped in off Enzo Fernandez’s arm, but Argentina held out to progress.

(Photo: Getty Images)

Messi on the impact Argentina’s supporters have on matches: “These are amazing feelings, we're really happy to share these beautiful moments, these happy moments.

“I know the effort the fans are making to be here in every match, I know the whole of Argentina would like to be here but it’s not possible.

“The bond we have is something beautiful, that’s how it should be. It’s unbelievable how they live every single match, their passion, their energy, their joy, we’re very thankful.

“It’s unbelievable.”

Argentina appeared in total control of the round of 16 match until an own-goal gave Australia hope of an unlikely comeback.

But Argentina held on and Messi added that he was pleased to win against “hard and difficult” opponents.

“I am very happy to take another step in this competition, achieve another objective,” he said.

“It was a very hard and difficult match. We knew it was going to be this way because we had played recently and didn’t have time to rest up. We were concerned because we knew it was going to be a very physical game.

“Luckily we found the goal. We were one goal then two goals up but then we had a setback. But that’s the World Cup for you and what’s important is that you win.”

Lionel Messi has said the 2022 World Cup is a “spectacular” experience for him because his sons are now old enough to appreciate Argentina’s matches and “enjoy it more”.

After Argentina’s win today, Messi said this tournament was particularly special now that two of his three sons — 10-year-old Thiago and 7-year-old Mateo — are old enough to enjoy the football.

“From the very beginning, from kick-off to the final whistle, I’m thinking of my children,” Messi said.

“They’re growing older. They understand better what’s going on and they enjoy it more.

“The rest of the family was with us before at other World Cups and Copa Americas and Thiago, the eldest of my children, was also there. But he wasn’t aware of what it means to be there, when it is a win or we go home.

“Now they are living it from inside and for me it is something spectacular, we are excited as all Argentinians are.”

To win any major tournament, the football doesn’t always have to be free-flowing and the performances don’t always have to be world-class. Pragmatism can be the order of the day for most successful sides. However, despite Argentina’s progression into the quarter-finals, you could strongly argue that they are yet to truly convince in this tournament.

But for some near-guaranteed Messi magic in the first half, Argentina were kept at arm’s length by Australia for long periods, and a mistake by goalkeeper Ryan gifted them a second goal.

Granted, the game was stretched in the final moments as Australia threw everything at Argentina but for 30 minutes in the second half, Australia gave Argentina a scare and nearly got an equaliser after Fernandez’s own goal.

Argentina seem to be a side that play in moments within this tournament. They have the technicians in their team, but it doesn’t quite feel like it’s knitting together coherently at the moment. That will need to change if they are going to go all the way.

(Photo: Getty Images)

Mathew Leckie, Australia’s star in the shock 1-0 victory over Denmark which secured them passage into the knockout stages, needed to repeat his heroics against Argentina, but he was extremely passive.

The former Borussia Monchengladbach and Hertha Berlin winger was supposed to offer Graham Arnold’s side a threat on the counter with his speed. Marcos Acuna, Argentina’s left-back, pushes up extremely high so Leckie, who plays on the right, should have flourished in the space he vacated, yet failed to make an impact. He only had 29 touches, although three of them were in the opposition box, and struggled to link up with Mitchell Duke and Riley McGree.

Australia caused their opponents more problems when Arnold made bold substitutions to bring on Goodwin, Kuol and Jamie Maclaren. Goodwin’s long-range strike, which took a huge deflection off Fernandez, offered them hope, but they will be forever wondering ‘what if’ about Kuol’s late shot which Martinez saved.

(Photo: Getty Images)

If you hadn’t watched Argentina’s first two games of the tournament, you would be shocked to learn that neither starting line-up featured Enzo Fernandez.

Messi is the man everything revolves around, but if you are looking for the centrepiece, the player who keeps everything together, then look no further than Fernandez. The metronome, who makes his team tick.

Since his impact off the bench against Mexico, where he scored the second goal in the 2-0 win, he has been one of Argentina’s most impressive players.

There is little expanse to his role, although he has it in his locker (see his assist against Poland), but the fact he still stands out by just, primarily, doing the simple things, speaks volumes. Sitting at the base of the midfield, he is happy to take the ball and move it quickly, frequently dropping between his centre-backs.

He provides the platform for those in front, especially Messi, to do their thing while patrolling and snuffing out anything coming in the other direction with an intensity Argentina as a team can lack, like in the first half an hour against Australia.

The one blemish on his evening came when Goodwin’s shot deflected off him and beat Martinez but it’s still easy to see why there is so much interest in the 21-year-old.

Messi’s goal in the 35th minute woke up an Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium that had fallen rather flat. Argentina were struggling to find their groove until Messi found the ball inside Australia’s penalty area. Two touches later, the ball was skipping past Aussie goalkeeper Ryan. Argentina had their goal and their supporters lost their minds.

The stadium shook as the Argentinians bounced up and down throughout the stadium. The roar was steady, almost deafening. Messi had raised the decibel levels single-handedly.

Replays of the goal streamed on the small screens in the media tribune. It was a classic Messi finish. An Argentine journalist pumped his fists. The fans in light blue and white sang loudly for nine straight minutes!

It was an incredible scene.

(Photo: Getty Images)

For 35 minutes Australia’s strategy had been going well. Their shape, so compact and disciplined, was blunting Argentina and they were beginning to grow in confidence.

In a 4-4-2, out of possession, they crowded out Messi, shut down passing lanes and broke up play effectively with energy and intensity. The problem is, when playing against Messi, even when you are practically perfect, he can make the difference.

After one off-target shot and an expected goals total of just 0.07, Australia had to be more expansive. But when and how? Keeping the scoreline as it was before throwing the kitchen sink at it later on made sense.

Mat Ryan’s error put paid to that as Julian Alvarez made it 2-0 but when Goodwin’s shot deflected off Fernandez into the net, an injection of belief and energy followed. A team that had looked toothless finally posed a threat. The plan was somehow still on and they opened up with Aaron Mooy trying to pull the strings from deep.

Aziz Behich nearly turned into Messi but Lisandro Martinez’s last-ditch tackle denied him. There was little after that, even with the 6ft 7in centre-back Harry Souttar going up front, as they struggled to keep possession and build pressure, until Martinez denied Garang Kuol with a huge save at the death. Too little too late.

(Photo: Getty Images)

How many different ways can you revel in the majesty of Lionel Messi?

In today’s episode, we celebrate Messi’s 1,000th career appearance in all competitions for club and country. Unsurprisingly, his attacking output in that time has been staggering.

Not just staggering across one or two years, not even staggering across four or five. Most professional footballers can only dream of having the goalscoring consistency that Messi has shown across his career — and that is before we even discuss his other-worldly playmaking qualities on the ball.

A career high of 91 goals in 69 games in 2012 is a simply ludicrous return. A rate of 1.3 goals per game across an entire year is breathtaking, with Messi not falling below a rate of one goal every other game in a calendar year since 2008.

Let that sink in.

How did he celebrate his 1,000th appearance? With a goal of course. His 789th career goal was an archetypal Messi finish, but interestingly was his first goal in the knockout stage of a World Cup.

It’s fair to say that neutral fans will hope to witness Messi’s 1,001st, 1,002nd, and 1,003rd appearances happen in this tournament as he fights to lift the World Cup for the first time.

Lionel Messi scored in his landmark 1,000th game as Argentina survived a late scare to beat Australia 2-1 and book a quarter-final date with the Netherlands.

Messi's 35th-minute opener broke Australia’s promising resistance, but Manchester City’s Julian Alvarez struck what proved the decisive goal (57').

An Enzo Fernandez own goal halved the deficit late on as Australia threatened an unlikely comeback.

Australia, who had shocked Denmark on their way to their first appearance in the Round of 16 since 2006, had barely been troubled in a first half during which both sides recorded a combined expected goals of just 0.15.

But the Socceroos struggled to make an impact higher up the pitch and were punished for trying to play out from the back, Mat Ryan caught out under Rodrigo De Paul's pressure allowing Alvarez to roll the ball into an empty net.

Argentina looked on course for a routine victory but Australia improbably rallied, Goodwin’s snapshot taking a hefty deflection off Enzo Fernandez (77'), before Lisandro Martinez made a crucial late tackle to thwart Aziz Behich after a thrilling mazy run.

A tournament of late drama might have provided another final twist, Garang Kuol firing straight at Emi Martinez from close range, but Lionel Scaloni’s side held on to reach the last eight.

Phew! That got close at the end but, in fairness, largely because Lautaro Martínez looks like he’s never seen a goal before.

Messi did all he could to drag his team to a third goal, and he put two on a plate for Martínez, but those chances went begging.

In the end, there were chants here in Buenos Aires for Emiliano ‘Dibu’ Martínez, who pulled off a fine save in the dying seconds. There’s a big cheeseburger named after him here, it should sell well tonight.

It was another Martínez, Lisandro, who saved another certain goal with a superb tackle not long beforehand.

So it was nervy here towards the end, but Argentina did more than enough to win, and it seemed the thousands of fans here in Buenos Aires knew it - they never seemed that concerned. Maybe that comes with having Messi on your team.

Well, at least we all got to see Lionel Messi score at least once more at the World Cup, then?

The Netherlands were solid against the USA, but it will be an entirely different prospect when they are trying to defend against Messi.

This Argentina side has flaws, no doubt, but they also have a once-in-a-generation talent who can pretty much win matches by himself. That is why they are genuine contenders to not only go very deep in the tournament, but to actually win it.

Argentina advances to the quarter-finals for the first time in eight years, after falling to France at this stage last time around.

Australia matched their best-ever result at the World Cup - equaling their Round of 16 performance from 2006 - but couldn't set a new mark by going one round further.

(Photo: Getty Images)

That was some dramatic ending!

A spin and shot in the box from Kuol and the 18-year-old comes so close to forcing extra-time and announcing himself on the world stage. Unfortunately for him, and fortunately for Argentina, Emi Martinez stuck out his left hand to make a wonderful save and thwart him.

Still, Newcastle fans will be encouraged by the way he pounced, turned and shot in the box. He has something about him.

No consolation for Australia right now, though.

(Photo: Getty Images)

97' Argentina 2-1 Australia

Australia sustain pressure near Argentina's box, and a big chance falls to Kuol. He hits a decent effort but Emi Martinez does well to save.

I'm afraid it is Argentina who are looking the more likely to score again, not Australia. Martinez and Messi have both gone close, as Australia throw bodies forward.

Australia themselves haven't really had a chance since just after they pulled one back.

90+3' Argentina 2-1 Australia

Messi takes the ball to the edge of the Australia box. Their defenders back off and back off - and who can blame them? Messi curls a shot towards the far post and only misses by mere inches.

Moments later Lautaro Martinez and Messi play pinball in the Australia box but still can't find the third goal that would truly put this game to rest.