(Argentina (Road to Victory)

WORLD CUP 2022

Lionel Messi: “Every success comes after

Written By: Muhammad MOHID Maqbool

Chapter 1
The GROUP STAGES
Nov 17, 2022. Argentina and superstar Lionel Messi arrived in Qatar for the World Cup early on
Thursday. He landed with the rest of Lionel SCALONI’s squad in Doha at 2.30am as they set up
camp ahead of their first Group C assignment against Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. Messi was
cautious about the team's chances in Qatar, even though they are the favorites.
On November 22nd, 2022. Argentina attend to play their first game against Saudi Arabia and the
first game for Group C. After both teams march on to the pitch of LUSAIL stadium Saudi
Arabia start the kick off with it being clear that Argentina were going to win But, HERVE
RENARD had other plans for his victory. As expected by the fans, Saudi defender (SAUD
ABDULHAMID) fouls Paredes in the box awarding Argentina a penalty. Like any other game
Messi scores to make it 1 to nothing in the 10 th minute. After that goal Argentina scored another
3 which all of them were offside. There you have its half time.
In the Saudi Arabia locker room the Saudi coach said this motivational speech, “What are we
doing here? Is this our pressing? Our pressing doesn’t mean you will go high! Messi at the
middle of the pitch, he has the ball, you stay in front of the defense! You don’t know you have to
mark him in the middle? Take your phone, you can take a picture with him if you want! You are
in front of the defense! You have nobody? You have to follow him! With ball, you were good!
Did you see what you did? Don’t you feel something? Don’t you feel we are able to comeback?
You don’t feel it? Come on guys, come on, this is a world cup! Give everything! When you are
at the edge of the box…You are like this…Be like this! Be concentrated! ALLEZ, come on.
Move yourselves!”
It’s the second half of this competition. Argentina start the kick off. With the motivation in them
Saudi Arabia start playing intense! Just like that ABDULELAH AL-MALKI crosses the ball to
AL- SHEHRI who kicks the ball into the bottom corner and the comeback begins! Just 5 minutes
later AL DAWSRI gets the ball dribbles it past the defender and scores an INCREDIBLE goal!!
After the Amazing comeback! The argentines start finding it difficult to go past Saudi Arabian
defense. And there it is, Argentina lost their opening match!

November 26, 2022

Welcome, ladies and gentleman! After shocking defeat from Saudi. Mexico are confident to play
against Argentina. Today is a beautiful day at LUSAIL stadium. As the players get ready for the
game Mexico start the kick off. After many chances for both teams and an Amazing top bin save
by Emiliano Martinez the referee blows for half time. It’s the second half and Argentina are
already awarded a free kick but sadly Messi misses it. In the 64 th minute Di Maria gets the ball
and passes it to Messi and it was a great idea as Messi shoots the ball from outside the box and
scores an unrealistic goal in the bottom corner as they get right back into it! That goal was
Messi’s 8th World cup goal! After that goal Mexico looked nervous and scared to face a better
looking team than before. In the 87th minute DePaul passes the ball to Messi who passes the ball
to Enzo Fernandez who dribbles it past Erick Gutierrez and slots it in the top bin and that also
past Memo Ochoa! And there you have it! The Fulltime whistle is blown and if they manage to
win the next game they are trough the Group Stages!

November 30, 2022

Good evening everyone! The players get ready for the match as Poland start the kick off. If
Argentina win this game they will qualify for the round of 16 as Poland have already qualified
for the round of 16. Argentina already got dozens of chances but all of them were saved by
Poland’s incredible goalie SZCZESNY! In the 35 th minute the polish goalie fouls Messi in the
box winning Argentina a penalty. Unfortunately He saves the penalty making the Unexpected
happen. The referee blows for halftime, what a shame! For Lionel Messi! Just a minute in the
second half, Molina passes to Mac Allister who scores past SZCZESNY! And just 11 minutes
later Enzo Fernandez passes to Alvarez who scores the top bin Winner! Just like that the referee
blows the whistle indicating that both teams have qualified for the next stage of the competition!
LOST!

WON!

WON!

Chapter 2
The ROUND OF SIXTEEN
On December 3, 2022. Argentina are going to play Australia in the Round of Sixteen as recently
they qualified by beating Poland 2-0 in the group stages. Just enough to qualify them. In 10PM
sharp Australia start the kick off and Argentina confidently making sure that they win as
Australia have never beaten a South American team. Fun fact: This game is actually Messi’s
1000th game! As the game starts Argentina start playing rough on the players, Last world cup
Argentina got knocked out in the round of sixteen by previous winners “France”. In the 35th
minute Mac Allister passes to Otamendi but instead of shooting he stops the ball for Messi who
gets the ball! (Sound of heartbeats) All the fans and players watch cautiously as Messi shoots the
ball,
It goes in between the defender’s legs and goes in the back of the net!! Messi scores just when
his country needed him in his 1000th game! The Australian players cannot believe in what they
have just witnessed as Argentina the lead by 1~0! After that goal Argentina have become more
confident than ever. The referee blows the whistle for half time. It’s the second half and
Australia are trying to score but Emiliano Martinez is going to make sure that they don’t score.
In the 57th minute Australian defender “Rowls” passes to the goalie ‘Mathew Ryan” and to his
error Alvarez gets the ball and scores as Mathew Ryan watches in dismay and Alvarez makes it
2~0! But, they concede it. Aziz Behich shoots and Otamendi clears it but Craig Goodwin shoots
on the rebound but it hits Enzo Fernandez and goes in the back of the net, indicating an own
goal! Not even Emiliano Martinez saw that one coming! Just 3 minutes later Behich dribbles past
all of the defenders and was about to score but then Otamendi comes out of nowhere and saves
out the shot! In the 90+5th minute Craig Goodwin crosses the ball in to Kuol who goat an easy
chance and shot the ball, Suddenly Martinez comes out on top and kept out a last minute save!
There you have it! They are trough to the next stage of the competition!
,

Chapter 3
The QUARTERFINALS
Today is 9th of December, 2022. Argentina are going to face the Netherlands in the quarterfinals.
As Netherlands start the kick off Argentina seem a bit nervous as Netherlands have the best
 defense among all countries. After many struggles for both teams Messi has the ball and without

Looking he passes to Molina who scores past van Dijk! Now obviously there confidence has
risen but weghorst had something else in plan for the second half as the referee blows the whistle
for half time.
We are now into the second half as Messi dribbles the ball trying to shoot but Van Dijk fouls
Messi and he wins a free kick, but he shoots it just inches away from going in. In the 71st minute
Denzel Dumfries fouls Acuna in the box giving the opposition a penalty and Messi’s the one to
take it. And he slots a wonderful shot in the top bin to make it 2~0! But, it all goes down in the
82nd minute when Steven Burghuis crosses the ball to Weghorst in the box and he heads it past
the goalie starting a new comeback! Just a few minutes later Leandro Paredes fouls Nathan Ake,

And disgracefully shoots the ball almost hitting the substitutes and in a case breaking out a fight
leading to the referee giving out 14 yellow cards! In the 90+11th minute Netherlands win a free
kick in which Burghuis takes it. But instead of shooting he passes it to Weghorst from
underneath the players wall in which he becomes the second Dutch in history to score that type
of goal and he equalized it in the last second of the game! As no one else could score in extra
time it all went down to penalties.
Van Dijk is the first one to take it, and Martinez saves it! WHAT A SHOCK!!! Lionel Messi is
the next one to take it and he obviously scores it! Shockingly Emiliano Martinez saves Burghuis’s
shot also! Next one is Paredes and he scores! The net one is Koopmeiners and he finally scores!
Here’s Montiel and he scores a powerful shot! Next is weghorst and why doesn’t he? He scores
again! If Enzo Fernandez scores there are on to the semifinals! And he shoots! But it goes wide
out of all the pressure! Here’s DE Jong and he scores to equalize it! If Latauro Martinez misses
they continue, if he scores they qualify for the semis, and he scores! Argentina are on to the
semifinals against Croatia! Will we see Messi go to his second world cup final?

Chapter 4
The SEMIFINALS

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen! Today is a beautiful day at the AL-LUSAIL stadium as it is 23
Degrees Celsius and Argentina will be playing Croatia in the semifinals! Croatia start the kick
off feeling confident as to when Croatia beat Argentina 3~0 in the 2018world cup, but what they
didn’t know is that Argentina is now a whole new team. In the first 30 minutes both teams we’re
playing aggressively as they both had already fouled each other 7 times! In the 31st minute

Otamendi crosses the ball to Alvarez, he run with the ball clashes with the goalie and he is about
to score! But Dejan Lovren clears it away. OH. What’s this? The ref has awarded Argentina a
penalty! Lionel Messi steps up to take it! And he scores right in the top bin! And he makes it 1~0
to show Croatia who they’re messing with! Just 4 minutes later Enzo Fernandez heads the ball to
Messi who passes to Alvarez ho makes a run for it, he is dribbling past the defenders with ease,

Even Ronaldinho loved that goal! Croatia are now expected to lose as nobody could get past
Argentina. De Paul gets the ball and he shoots! And it has hit Kovacic’s arm and it’s a handball
but the and he shoots, WHAT A GOOOOAAAALLL!!!! HE HAS DONE IT! 2~0 before
halftime! De Paul gets the ball, when he shoots he claims that Kovacic did a handball! Referee
denies it claiming it did not hit the hand of the Croatian midfielder so the referee just gives them
a corner. Messi crosses the ball in to the box, Mac Allister heads it and WHAT A SAVE from
Lovakovic! And the referee blows the whistle for half time!

As the second half begins the aggression seems to grow by the minute. In the 68th minute Molina
passes to Messi who passes to Alvarez who passes him back, Messi dribbles it past Kovacic, he
passes to Alvarez who scores the third GOOAALL!! What a comeback and what a hit! There is
the final whistle. Argentina will now play in the final for the fifth time!