On a team with Lionel Messi, Sergio Agüero, Gonzalo Higuaín, and Ángel Di María, few would have predicted that Marcos Rojo — yes, that Marcos Rojo; the one who scored just one goal in four seasons with Manchester United — would be the hero who put Argentina ahead of Nigeria and into the knockout stages.
Entering Tuesday, Argentina sat fourth in Group D. Their one point put them equal with Iceland, but after losing 3–0 to Croatia on Thursday, they trailed the European darlings on goal difference. The scenario to advance was simple: The Argentines had to beat Nigeria and hope that Iceland either lost or drew the group leaders. There were outcomes in play wherein Argentina could still move on even with an Iceland win, but those required La Albiceleste to net enough goals to make up their difference. And seeing as they had scored only once across their first two matches, that didn’t seem likely.
Two goals were enough, as the Argentines won, 2–1, and Iceland fell to Croatia by the same margin. Messi opened scoring in the 14th minute when he somehow brought down an Éver Banega ball with a deft first touch off his left thigh — read that back again; he controlled a lofted through ball with his trailing thigh — tapped it once with his left boot, and unleashed a rocket with his right to send it home.
A few minutes later, Messi almost added another on a free kick that was earned when Di María was clipped outside the box. Had it not been for the outstretched fingertips of Nigeria’s diving keeper, he would have had a second highlight strike. Francis Uzoho’s touch was just enough to push the curving ball into the post and out of harm’s way.
It was almost needed. Victor Moses notched a penalty in the 51st minute — awarded after a quick VAR check confirmed that Mascherano had pulled Leon Balogun down in the box — to draw the Super Eagles level. Elsewhere, a Croatian goal put them up, 1–0, over Iceland and gave Jorge Sampaoli’s squad control of their own destiny. But at that moment they still needed a second tally to advance from the group.
While Argentina struggled in St. Petersburg, Iceland pressed forward in Rostov-on-Don. Gylfi Sigurdsson scored from the spot to bring them even, and a tense VAR break to see whether an Argentine handball was intentional nearly awarded what would have been a go-ahead penalty to Nigeria. It wasn’t, and La Albiceleste continued to search for the one goal that would put them through.
Higuaín, ever the goat, launched a one-touch shot into the stands in the 81st (some say it’s still rising). It seemed that Argentina’s tournament would end the same way the last few did — with Higuaín squandering a perfect opportunity. And then: Rojo. The center back caught a Gabriel Mercado cross on his right boot in the center of the box and slammed a volley past Uzoho.
Rojo’s goal put Argentina ahead of Nigeria, giving them the edge over Iceland in the group, and a 90th-minute Croatia goal cemented the final table. A loss would have marked one of the most disappointing finishes in the history of Argentine soccer. A win, on the other hand …
Every international tournament Messi has ever played with the senior team has ended in heartbreak. There were the quarterfinal exits in his first two World Cups in 2006 and 2010; the back-to-back Copa América failures against Chile in 2015 and 2016, when La Albiceleste fell one Higuaín breakaway short, only to lose in penalties; and, of course, there was the World Cup final in 2014 — likely the closest Messi will ever come to taking the sport’s highest team honor — when another Higuaín meltdown kept Germany alive long enough to score their own heroic winner in extra time.
It would be foolish to suggest that now, after barely qualifying for the tournament, and having a similarly difficult time climbing out of their round-robin, Argentina’s flaws will miraculously dissipate, and they’ll play up to the talent of their attacking line. Their defense is still a step slow, their midfield can’t seem to create, longtime stalwarts like Javier Mascherano and Di María look ready to be put out to pasture, and a rumored mutiny against Sampaoli and his managerial style nearly led to implosion. Questions still linger about lineup choices — why hasn’t Paulo Dybala seen the field more often, why is Giovani Lo Celso chained to the bench, and for the love of God, why is Messi the only player able to competently bring the ball up the pitch? — and the mood surrounding the Argentine locker room should be one of relief rather than celebration.
A date with France is looming, and though Les Bleus didn’t exactly look the part of world beaters during their run through Group C, they’re far and away the best team the Argentines have faced thus far. Still, there’s hope. Messi saved them during qualification, and he’s here to save them now. Across the history of the sport, there have been only a handful of players skilled enough to carry a team this underwhelming on a deep run. Messi has done it before. And the only real question left is whether or not he can do it again.