‘The greatest there is!’: Twitter erupts in Messi worship after Argentina reach quarter-finals
It was Messi's 1000th career game and the first time that he scored in a knockout match at the World Cup. The Argentina striker's clinical passes and superb performance in the match cemented his reputation as one of the greatest footballers ever.
Argentina stormed into the quarter-final with a 2-1 win over Australia in the FIFA World Cup 2022 on Sunday. Captain Lionel Messi scored the opening goal for Argentina in the 35th minute before Julian Alvarez extended the lead with a goal in the 57th minute. Australia got a solitary goal to their tally when the ball deflected off Argentina's Enzo Fernandez into the post and was registered as an own goal.
It was Messi's 1000th career game and the first time that he scored in a knockout match at the World Cup. The Argentina striker's clinical passes and superb performance in the match cemented his reputation as one of the greatest footballers ever.
After Argentina's win, the microblogging site Twitter was flooded with praises for Messi.
British tennis star Andy Murray tweeted "Messi is the man".
Former English footballer Rio Ferdinand was quoted as saying on Lionel Messi by Sportsbible: "Messi has just put on the best individual display we have seen at this World Cup... by a mile."
"Watching Lionel Messi play football is a blessing, never take it for granted," tweeted one user.
" LIONEL MESSI THE GREATEST THERE IS! THE GREATEST THERE WAS! THE GREATEST THERE EVER WILL BE" posted another fan.
"I'm just here to remind those who have dementia or think they know the sport we call Futbol that Lionel Andres Messi is the greatest of all time," posted one of Messi's fans.
With his goal against Australia, Messi is now at the second place in the list of all-time highest goal scorers for Argentina in World Cups. He has reached tally of nine goals now which is just behind former Argentina captain Gabriel Batistuta, who scored 10 goals in his World Cup career.
Team Argentina will now face Netherlands in the quarter-finals. Earlier Netherlands humbled USA 3-1 in the round of 16 to qualify for the last eight of the tournament.
