Fan footage of Lionel Messi’s goal to put Argentina ahead against Australia shows just how good the goal really was.
In what was a cagey affair, something special was needed to light up the World Cup last-16 contest.
And in true Messi style, he popped up in the right place at the right time to put his side ahead with an expertly taken goal in the 35th minute.
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After exchanging passes with Alexis Mac Allister, Messi was then found by Rodrigo De Paul with a perfectly weighted pass. Messi simply stroked the ball into the bottom corner with relative ease. You can watch the fan footage below.
As shown in the footage, Messi made that finish look so easy and he can be seen ghosting past a number of Australian players in order to get into the perfect position to score. The footage was captioned: “My view for Lionel Messi’s goal v Australia, I am speechless.”
The crowd was also captured celebrating wildly as they had the perfect view to see one of the best players in football history up close and personal.
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That was Messi’s first-ever goal in the World Cup knockout stages as he celebrated his 1000th career game in the best possible way.
In the second half, Argentina continued to push for the second goal in order to put daylight between themselves and their opponents.
Manchester City’s Julian Alvarez made it 2-0 in the 57th minute after a horrible error from Australia's former Brighton goalkeeper Matthew Ryan.
The Socceroos did get themselves back in the game after Craig Goodwin’s shot was deflected into the back of the net in the 77th minute.
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However, Argentina held on for a 2-1 victory to take them into the quarter-finals of the World Cup once again.
Up next for Messi and his side will be a tough encounter against the Netherlands, who got the better of the United States in the earlier match.
Topics: Argentina, Australia, Football, Football World Cup, Lionel Messi
Marcus Chan