Lionel Messi set a stunning four World Cup records during Argentina's comfortable semi-final win over Croatia on Tuesday night.
The Paris Saint-Germain superstar proved a thorn in the opposition's defence as he walked away with a goal and an assist in the Albiceleste's 3-0 win to qualify for the World Cup final.
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With Messi scoring the first goal of the clash through a kick from the penalty spot following a foul on Julian Alvarez, he became Argentina's leading World Cup scorer of all time with 11 strikes – he had drawn level with Gabriel Batistuta's tally of 10 goals in the quarter-final against the Netherlands on Friday.
Later in the semi-final, the 35-year-old swiftly dribbled past Josko Gvardiol to set up Alvarez's second goal in the game, with the moment of magic ensuring that the veteran is now also the record assists holder for the South American nation.
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It was Messi's ninth assist in World Cups, moving him ahead of Diego Maradona's longstanding record of eight.
The PSG star's dazzling performance against the Croatians also saw him become the first player to both score and assist in four separate matches in the global tournament since records began in 1966, according to the Daily Mirror.
And the impressive feats do not stop there as Messi also drew level with Lothar Matthaus for the most appearances in the competition's history.
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If he features in the final on Sunday, he will become the outright holder of that record, and will find out who he could go up against in the decider when France take on Morocco in the other semi-final on Wednesday night.
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