Unseen footage of Lionel Messi's outrageous assist vs Croatia proves he planned the whole move in his head
A new angle of Lionel Messi's outrageous assist for Argentina against Croatia has convinced supporters he mapped the entire move out in his head.
The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner stole the show in Tuesday evening's 3-0 win over Croatia in the World Cup semi-final.
His best moment came in the second half when he destroyed Josko Gvardiol before putting the ball on a plate for Julian Alvarez.
He made no mistake from close range, tapping home his second of the game and Argentina's third. Was it all as Messi planned? Check out the footage below to decide for yourself.
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Messi can be seen hovering near Gvardiol on the halfway line before gesturing to Alvarez to get in front of him.
The Manchester City forward obliged, getting in front of the Croatia defender as Messi drifted back towards the Argentina half.
Alvarez managed to win the ball over the top, which he touched onto Messi before making his way into the box.
As he was doing that, Messi twisted and turned to get past Gvardiol. That's no easy feat given the RB Leipzig man's form at the tournament.
According to Messi's former teammate and close friend Sergio Aguero, this is the kind of thing the 35-year-old does while on the pitch. He'll move his teammates like chess pieces if it means he can receive the ball in a strong position.
Juan Arango tweeted: "Kun Aguero talked on Arg TV how Messi directs his teammates to move around so he can receive the ball. Short pass to his feet is the secret."
Fans online have reacted to the footage and they understand Aguero's point completely.
One person said: "This man is a different breed."
Another added: "I’ve seen so many replays of this and I just keep watching."
A third put: "The football IQ on display is over 1000."
While someone summed it up with: "The game within the game. Good stuff."
Argentina will now face current holders France on Sunday evening. Messi's already confirmed this World Cup will be his last as a player, adding higher stakes to an already dramatic contest.
"I am very happy for finishing my journey in World Cups in a final, to play the last game in a final. That is really very gratifying," he admitted.
"Everything I lived in this World Cup has been emotional, seeing how much it has been enjoyed in Argentina.
"There are a lot of years from this year to the next one. I don't think I will be able to do that. To finish this way is brilliant."
Topics: Lionel Messi, Argentina, Croatia
Daniel Marland