Lionel Messi converts penalty kick to give Argentina 1-0 lead on Croatia [VIDEO]

After back-and-forth action in the midfield for most of the game, Argentina finally found a break in Croatia’s defense with a ball over the top to Julian Alvarez. Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic attempted to cut off his angle but clearly took down Alvarez in the process, resulting in a penalty.

Lionel Messi stepped up to the spot and made no mistake, giving his side a 1-0 lead in the 2022 World Cup semifinal.

It’s a tough moment for Livakovic, who has been on a heater throughout this tournament and especially in the knockout round. He’s been stopping penalty kicks left and right to see his side through two shootouts in the knockout bracket but had no chance of stopping Messi.

The Argentina star is making his way up the Golden Boot standings with this goal, challenging France’s Kylian Mbappe for the honor. We’ll see if he can add another one in this match.