For Lionel Messi and Argentina, it seems this World Cup will now go one of two ways.
If the greatest player of his generation finally lifts the trophy in Lusail on Sunday, then perhaps a life’s work will be considered complete.
If he does not, then there will be other contrasting images gathered over these last three weeks that may prove harder to shake.
Lionel Messi will be looking to reach the World Cup final for the second time in his career
The Argentina squad took to training in Doha ahead of their semi-final clash with Croatia
The Copa America champions are two games away from lifting the World Cup trophy in Qatar
Angel Di Maria has struggled for fitness in recent fixtures but was available for training
A penalty dubiously won and then missed against Poland in an early group game. Perhaps the pass of the tournament to provide Nahuel Molina with the opening goal of last Friday’s quarter-final against the Netherlands.
And then, most vivid of all, Messi’s role in the thuggery and skullduggery that tainted the closing stages of that game, eventually settled on penalties.
At home in Argentina and among the thousands of his countrymen and women that continue to gather here in Doha, there is only celebration of the way Messi and his team-mates overcame the Dutch in that brutal and undignified denouement in the same Lusail Stadium to which they return to face Croatia tonight.
But as for the rest of the world — a world that wishes deeply to view Messi as somehow resting above some of the dirtier aspects of our sport — we know what we saw. As such it was left to Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni to somehow offer a defence of his players when he spoke yesterday.
‘I just want to be finished with this topic,’ Scaloni said. ‘The previous game was played the way we had to play it. That goes for both teams. In some games things can happen. There can be arguments and challenging times, but that’s all.
National team boss Lionel Scaloni defended his side’s actions during their quarter-final clash
Argentina received ten bookings during their game against the Netherlands on Friday night
There were 17 cautions in total during the match – setting a new record in the World Cup
‘That’s why we have a referee. To make justice. We need to put an end to this idea that Argentina is just a team that has that type of behaviour. We lost to Saudi Arabia in game one and didn’t say anything. We won the Copa America in Brazil last year and experienced the most sporting behaviour with Messi and Neymar sitting together in the tunnel in the Maracana.
‘So I am not convinced of this idea that we are just about unsporting behaviour. We show our pride and we just played that game against Netherlands the way we had to play it.
‘Messi has always been a winner. He remains keen and motivated to win. We’re very happy about that.’
At a World Cup short of a really great team, Messi’s uncertain but compelling progress towards a second final — Argentina lost to Germany in Rio de Janeiro in 2014 — remains its most significant storyline.
Lionel Messi has played a starring role during Argentina’s campaign in the World Cup
The South American outfit could face France or Morocco should they reach the final
With his demeanour on the pitch often oscillating between determination and naked desperation, this tournament has seen a different side to the 35-year-old. As such, his team-mate Nicolas Tagliafico was asked yesterday if he was simply becoming too aggressive.
‘Messi is our captain and leader and he has always been like this,’ said the Lyon defender. ‘He is the one pushing us, motivating us. We have him and that’s a great source of motivation and help.
‘We are so happy to have him as our captain. We want to achieve our dreams and the most beautiful way is to do it with Messi at our side. In terms of the Netherlands game, those are situations that happen. We feel the emotions running high.’
With Croatia reaching a successive World Cup semi-final virtue of back-to-back penalty shootout victories, Argentina have understandably been installed as favourites ahead of tonight’s game.
As far as Croatia boss Zlatko Dalic is concerned though, a life’s dream has already been realised. Four years ago the Croatia coach took his country to a World Cup final and he didn’t think it would happen again.
Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic spoke ahead of the crucial match for his side on Tuesday night
But if Morocco have been the eager and fresh-faced giantkillers of this tournament — the north Africans face France in the other semi-final tomorrow — then the Croats have been the gnarled veterans of World Cups past who refuse to go away.
Not impressive in coming second to Morocco in Group F with a win and two draws, Dalic and his players are still with us courtesy of those shootout wins against Japan and then Brazil.
Croatia deservedly trailed in both matches. But maybe the memory of what happened in Russia — where Croatia beat England in the last four and then lost to France in the final — is driving the likes of Luka Modric, Dejan Lovren and Ivan Perisic forwards.
That trio, for example, have 103 years and 358 international caps between them and Scaloni praised Modric yesterday. ‘He is a role model,’ the Argentina boss said. ‘For his play and for his behaviour. We should enjoy him.’
And Spurs winger Perisic said: ‘If we play like we did against Brazil then we have a chance.’ But that may not be true. Croatia had one shot on target over 120 minutes against Brazil. It arrived three minutes from the end and went in, via a deflection.
Ivan Perisic scored the goal that secured a place for Croatia in the final back in 2018
They will have to be more accomplished tonight but if Argentina and Messi are carrying the weight of expectation into this game, Croatia are not.
‘We are here as one of the best four teams in the world once again and that is extraordinary for a country like Croatia,’ said Dalic. ‘Argentina are under greater pressure than us. We have played two extra-time games but we have not even talked about being exhausted. We have strength and energy.
‘The semi-final against England four years ago was the most important game we ever played. The one we have just played against Brazil was the second. This is now the third.
‘To repeat that success against England with this team would be fantastic but what we have done here is already a great triumph.
The Croatian duo spoke at a press conference on Monday afternoon ahead of the game
‘I could never imagine that I would come so far with this team again. I thank God. I am so grateful. Whatever happens in this game I am proud. I am a happy person now.
‘Both teams are very emotional,’ he added. ‘Look at the Argentina fans and the emotion they carry. It’s the same with the Croats. We have a lot less here and that will be an advantage to Argentina. But I firmly believe the Croats will be the ones experiencing all the joy at the end.
That may be so as this is largely a functional Argentina team, albeit with one generational talent at its heart. But it does not lack courage, having overcome the shock of that defeat by Saudi Arabia in the group and also the blow of Wout Weghorst’s equaliser in the last minute of 11 added to normal time last Friday.
Messi will be looking to add to his four goals in the competition when he faces Croatia
‘It is strange to have all those minutes at the end when you think the game is over,’ reflected Scaloni yesterday.
Argentina’s fans are providing a much needed backdrop of colour and vitality to what remains of this tournament. Argentina have not won a World Cup since 1986 and the memory of how badly their team played in that final in Brazil eight years ago is one that needs to be purged.
As evening draws in earlier here, the South Americans gather in number to make music in the squares of Doha. This evening Lusail will be painted pale blue and white. In the sports shops, the Argentina home shirt is the only one no longer available.
Argentina. Messi. A World Cup final. It all adds up. If only Scaloni’s players do not get in their own way tonight.