Messi’s Argentina save World Cup hopes with last-gasp goal

Argentina fight on in dramatic fashion snatching a late 2-1 win over Nigeria, setting up a last-16 match against France.

Argentina's defender Marcos Rojo (lower) celebrates his goal with Argentina's forward Lionel Messi during their game against Nigeria.

Fifa World Cup: Group D

Nigeria 1 (Moses 51 pen)

Argentina 2 (Messi 14, Rojo 86)

A raised-fingered salute from Diego Maradona to greet the winning goal from Marcos Rojo just about summed up an extraordinary, raucous evening of drama and salvation for Argentina.

Just when the world was willing to pack them off as a desperate rabble, not even Lionel Messi’s genius enough to save them from an early exit, Argentina’s mutineering team managed to save themselves with an “up yours” to those who had been ready to write them off.

Who would have thought it would be the right foot of Rojo — no one even knew he had one — that should prove decisive, the centre half suddenly arriving like a centre forward in the 86th minute to strike a crisp shot into the bottom corner. Cue bedlam.

And so Argentina, and Messi, fight on in Russia with France up next in the last 16, a tough test. They will do so with the maestro buoyed by his first goal of this World Cup, an absolute beauty. The lost figure of that humbling by Croatia finished all smiles here, while team-mates burst into tears in celebration at knocking out Nigeria, who had came so agonisingly close.

Whether victory is the end to the tumult around the Argentina camp is another matter. While staff and players danced around to celebrate Rojo’s goal, Jorge Sampaoli, the coach in name, was on his own. At the final whistle he was first down the tunnel.

How telling it was to see Sampaoli sitting in the dugout as Messi gave instructions to his team-mates when they emerged from the tunnel for the second half.

The change from chaotic wing backs to a 4-3-3 system had certainly been called for by the players, not least Messi himself, according to the Argentina media who had been feasting on leaks.

A fight among team-mates, a player mutiny; yet out of the chaos this squad of many talents sought to save themselves from embarrassment. The ring leader, Javier Mascherano, tried to set the tone, hurtling into tackles, though a few too many of them were trying to retrieve his own loose passes. He was bleeding from one eye by the end, the wound possibly self-inflicted like the penalty he had foolishly given away to imperil his side, but no one can accuse him of lacking fight.

Argentina came to scrap for their lives but all knew their fate would depend largely on one man just as it had in reaching Russia, reliant on a Messi hat-trick to come from behind to win in Ecuador and avoid missing a World Cup finals for the first time since 1970.

Messi started like a man on a mission. He had just 49 touches in defeat by Croatia, wandering around dispiritedly. He had passed that number by half-time, including that sumptuous goal.

It was his first of the tournament, with his 13th shot, and made him the first player to score a World Cup goal in his teens, twenties and thirties — not even Pele did that, being 29 in 1970 — to add to the squillions of other record-breaking stats.

And it was delivered with such characteristic brilliance and deftness, controlling Ever Banega’s beautifully flighted pass from the halfway line with one touch of the thigh, dabbing the ball forward with his left foot before rifling his shot across Francis Uzoho with his right. Wrong foot? Do not insult the maestro.

Argentina's Marcos Rojo celebrates his goal.

Up in the stands, Maradona crossed his arms over his chest and exclaimed something about God. For once, presumably he was not referring to himself. The din around the St Petersburg Stadium, packed full of Argentina fans, was extraordinary and for the rest of the first half they had plenty of reason to keep the noise up as their team pressed for more.

Messi slid through a lovely ball to Gonzalo Higuain, who had been preferred to Sergio Aguero but could only stab the ball into the chest of the onrushing Uzoho, who took a knee in the head for his troubles. Argentina were on top, the recalled Angel Di Maria winning a free kick which Messi curled on to the post.

Nigeria needed to do more to test Franco Armani in goal. It was some occasion to make your international debut, aged 31, but Willy Caballero could not be trusted after his nightmare against Croatia.

There were claims for a penalty when Rojo, always looking a reckless presence at the heart of the Argentina defence, swung a high boot to clear and caught Kelechi Iheanacho in the face.

A penalty? Debatable, but Argentina could not complain — though Mascherano did, vehemently — when Cuneyt Cakir, the referee, awarded one to Nigeria six minutes into the second half.

Grappling had been one of the clear problems in the early days of this World Cup with defenders getting away with far too much. Mascherano must have missed the memo — and the clear indication from England against Panama — that this was going to be a focus for officials.

Wrapping his arms around Leon Balogun was by no means the worst example we have seen but it was still a foul, and a stupid one. He had reputedly led the complaints against Sampaoli but needs to know when to stop throwing his weight around. Victor Moses calmly scored from the spot and, for 20 minutes, Argentina looked like they might not recover.

There was another fright when Rojo headed the ball against his own arm but, urged to consult the screen by VAR, Cakir sensibly ruled it was accidental.

And so we came to the chaos of the last 15 minutes, and Rojo became the unlikely hero. Argentina fight on and where there is Messi, there is always a chance.

The Times