Argentina swept Croatia aside 3-0 to reach the 2022 World Cup Final and Roma forward Paulo Dybala made his debut in the tournament.
The star of the show was inevitably Lionel Messi, who converted the opening penalty and then provided a stunning assist for Julian Alvarez by turning Josko Gvardiol inside out at the by-line.
Alvarez had also scored on the counter-attack with a determined run, winning a couple of lucky ricochets.
It was an off night for Inter midfielder Marcelo Brozovic and Atalanta’s Mario Pasalic, who were both substituted early into the second half.
Juventus midfielder Leandro Paredes gave them the tactical edge by packing the midfield, but Angel Di Maria was not fit to start.
However, there was finally some playing time for Roma’s Dybala, who came off the bench to replace Alvarez at the 75th minute.
La Joya had not yet featured in the 2022 World Cup and was a doubt until the final days due to a muscular injury he sustained at Roma.
He had played 22 minutes in the 2018 World Cup group phase.
Inter striker Lautaro Martinez was left on the touchline throughout the semi-final.
Argentina will face either France or Morocco in the World Cup Final on Sunday.
Vamos Argentina. Also sad for Lautaro.
Messi dictates what goes on with this team. Who makes it, who plays.
And rightly so, he’s been phenomenal in this tournament.