Lionel Messi sinks penalty kick to put Argentina up 2-0 vs. Netherlands [VIDEO]

After getting the assist to put Argentina up 1-0, Lionel Messi decided to put one in the back of the net himself after his side was given a penalty kick in the 73rd minute. The star made no mistake from the spot and got the crucial second goal of the match, putting Argentina up 2-0 and seemingly in the 2022 World Cup semifinal.

It was a tough call on Netherlands initially as Marcos Acuna made his run down the left side of the pitch. The foul occurred just inside the box and could’ve easily been called a free kick outside the box if it was just a few yards away.

Those few yards might be the difference between a sure goal and a set piece chance, and Netherlands will be kicking themselves if they manage to pull one back here. Messi was never going to make a mistake from the spot, and he’s made his presence felt in this match. This is a huge win for Argentina if they can hold on in the final minutes.