An old social media post from Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni urging Lionel Messi not to quit the national team from 2016 has gone viral after the duo booked their spot in the World Cup final.
Messi, 35, has been influential for Argentina during their run in Qatar and it was no surprise when the Paris Saint-Germain star upped the ante to put Croatia to the sword on Monday night. After firing Scaloni's side into an early lead from the penalty spot, Messi embarked on a stunning solo run to tee up Manchester City striker Julian Alvarez for the second his two goals on the night to cap a 3-0 win.
The result means that the Albiceleste have an opportunity to claim a third world title when they meet either France or Morocco on Sunday evening at Lusail Stadium.
Messi is now just one game away from capturing the one major honour that has eluded him during his illustrious career - but it was almost a very different story for the former Barcelona talisman.
Back in 2016, Messi appeared to call time on his international career after missing a penalty in Argentina's Copa America final defeat against Chile. Speaking after, he said: “In the dressing room I thought that this is the end for me with the national team, it’s not for me. That’s the way I feel right now, it’s a huge sadness once again and I missed the penalty that was so important."
Scaloni was one of the people who went public with a plea to Messi, urging him not to give up his role with the Argentina national team. Sharing an image of Messi surrounded by Chile players, Scaloni wrote: "this picture says it all... don't go Lio".
Messi eventually softed his stance and now the duo are on the cusp of creating history. It was all too much for Scaloni, who burst into tears after the huge win over Croatia.
Join the debate! Do you think Messi and Argentina will go on to win the World Cup? Let us know here.
All eyes will now turn to Messi, a losing finalist in 2014, who appeared to clutch at his hamstring towards the end of the first-half. Losing their talisman for the final would be a bitter blow for Argentina, who last won the tournament back in 1986.
But the PSG ace did his best to allay fears over his fitness after the match - insisting that he felt "really good". He insisted after the game: "I am enjoying this a lot. I am feeling really good, I feel strong enough to face every match.
"The previous match was a big sacrifice. Today we were tired but we pulled out strength to earn the victory. We played very well, we preferred to play this way because we knew they would not have the ball.
"We knew we would have to run. We prepared in a very good way. I feel very happy in this World Cup. I am able to help the squad."
