Messi keeps World Cup dream alive with magic strike against Mexico
It was Argentina's biggest win in the tournament in terms of goal margin since their 3-1 win against the same opposition in the Last 16 at the 2010 World Cup.
Lionel Messi was once again Argentina's saviour with the breakthrough goal in a 2-0 win over Mexico at Lusail Stadium to ignite his side's World Cup campaign.
Poland's 2-0 victory over Saudi Arabia earlier on Saturday left Argentina needing to avoid defeat against Mexico if they were not to exit the competition after just two games.
The Lusail Iconic Stadium will be the venue for the World Cup final but it served as the setting for what Lautaro Martinez described as the first of "two finals" for Argentina after the shock defeat to Saudi Arabia in their opener.
Very much like a final, it was a desperately cagey contest pockmarked by niggling fouls, spiky challenges and few chances.
Argentina put their shock 2-1 loss against Saudi Arabia behind them thanks to Messi's long-range opener after 64 minutes and Enzo Fernandez's equally-as-impressive late strike.
Messi had been well-muzzled by Mexico's hoard of dogged midfielders, forcing Argentina's skipper to drop deep into his own half in search of a whisper of space for most of the match. 'Most' being the operative word.
As his former manager at the international and club level, Mexico boss Gerardo Martino was well aware of Messi's propensity to flicker into life. "Sometimes even without being on top of your game for 90 minutes, in five minutes everything can happen," he prophetically warned.
Hector Herrera was caught on his heels as Angel Di Maria fired the ball across the edge of the box. Taming a fiercely struck pass with one touch, Messi swatted a low, fizzing effort into the bottom corner with his second, nestling it in the ratonera - the mouse nest, as they say in Argentina.
Lionel Scaloni's men join Saudi Arabia on three points and are one point behind Group C leaders Poland, who they face in their final match, while Mexico are bottom on one point.
What they will be saying back in Buenos Aires and beyond will invariably be some form of thanks to their skipper. Fernandez sealed three points which keeps Argentina's future in their own hands in the 87th minute, bending a sumptuous effort into the top corner as Mexico completely switched off from a short corner. But this was Messi's night. The victory ensures there may be more of those to come this winter.
Argentina will certainly hope so.
