LUSAIL, Qatar—Lionel Messi is back in the World Cup final with Argentina on his mission to win soccer’s biggest prize for the first time.
And, at 35, he could hardly be playing any better.
Messi converted a penalty and had a hand in the other two goals by Julián Álvarez, leading Argentina to a 3–0 win over Croatia on Tuesday that set up a meeting with either France or Morocco in Sunday’s title match.
It will be Messi’s second World Cup final—Argentina lost the other one to Germany in 2014—in what might be his last appearance at the tournament….