FIFA World Cup 2022: Leo Messi stunning goal scores, & Assist, Argentina beat Mexico, Player ratings, stats.

With the most important goals of Leo career, Lionel Messi's superb long-range strike helped revive Argentina's World Cup hopes alive as they claimed a crucial 2-0 win over Mexico at the Lusail Stadium.

Argentina came into the game knowing defeat would end their hopes of reaching the last 16 after their shock 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia and they laboured again until Messi's 65th-minute stunning kick.

"We're dead," Lionel Messi said in the wake of Argentina's 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia in heaviest defeat, while their Mexican side survived a scare to draw with Poland on Tuesday.

Argentina took the lead in the 64th minute when Messi took a touch off a cross from Di-Maria across the face of the area and fired a low shot from 25 yards into the bottom corner.

He ran with his arms outstretched toward the team's fans who were jubilantly cheering behind the goal and was soon surrounded by his teammates. He spun his arms in excitement after scoring his 93rd and possibly most significant international goal.

A second goal from substitute Enzo-Fernandez in the 87th minute helped Argentina recover from a 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia, one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history.

Before its final game against first-place Poland, Argentina, which is second in Group C, may need to win to advance.

World Cup 2022 Fantasy fottball: Argentina vs Mexico: Player ratings

1. Argentina (4-4-2)

GK: Emi Martinez - 6/10 -

RB: Gonzalo Montiel - 5/10 -

CB: Nicolas Otamendi - 5/10 -

CB: Lisandro Martinez - 4/10 -

LB: Marcos Acuna - 3/10 -

RM: Angel Di Maria - 6/10 -

CM: Rodrigo De Paul - 3/10 -

CM: Guido Rodriguez - 5/10 -

LM: Alexis Mac Allister - 5/10 -

ST: Lionel Messi - 7/10 -

ST: Lautaro Martinez - 4/10 -

SUB: Enzo Fernandez (57' for Rodriguez) - 7/10 -

SUB: Julian Alvarez (63' for Martinez) - 5/10

SUB: Nahuel Molina (63' for Montiel) - 5/10

Manager: Lionel Scaloni - 4/10 -

2. Mexico (3-5-2)

GK: Guillermo Ochoa - 5/10 -

CB: Nestor Araujo - 6/10 -

CB: Cesar Montes - 7/10 -

CB: Hector Moreno - 6/10 -

RWB: Kevin Alvarez - 5/10 -

CM: Hector Herrera - 7/10 -

CM: Luis Chavez - 7/10 -

CM: Andres Guardado - N/A -

LWB: Jesus Gallardo - 5/10 -

ST: Hirving Lozano - 5/10 -

ST: Alexis Vega - 6/10 -

SUB: Erick Gutierrez (42' for Guardado) - 6/10 -

SUB: Raul Jimenez (66' for Vega) - 5/10

SUB: Uriel Antuna (66' for Alvarez) - 5/10

Manager: Gerardo Martino - 5/10 -

Player of the Match - Lionel Messi (Argentina)

Argentina vs Mexico: Messi level with Maradona is still a game chnager - Opta Key stats

Lionel Messi is now both the youngest (18y 357d vs Serbia in 2006) and the oldest (35y 155d vs Mexico today) player to both score and assist in a single World Cup game since the start of the 1966 tournament.

Lionel Messi has scored in six successive appearances for Argentina, his joint-longest ever scoring run in international football (also 6 between November 2011 - September 2012).

Lionel Messi has now scored as many World Cup goals as Diego Maradona (8), with only Gabriel Batistuta (10) netting more for Argentina at the tournament overall.

Since 1966, only Rivellino (5) has scored more World Cup goals from outside the box than Messi (4).

Andres Guardado became just the sixth player to feature at five different World Cups (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022) and the third different Mexican to do so after Rafael Márquez and Antonio Carbajal.

Argentina are unbeaten in their last 11 meetings with Mexico in all competitions (W8 D3) since a 1-0 loss in the 2004 Copa America.

____

.