“We recovered from Arabia and after these two great games, we’re excited again!” Minutes after Argentina’s victory, Uriel Vitez (19) celebrated in the streets of the capital Buenos Aires wearing an Argentina shirt and cap.
Schools in the South American country suspended classes early and offices closed for two hours to watch the “Albiceleste” team guarantee their place in the knockout stage.
Argentina are looking to become world champions again, 36 years after their last World Cup triumph, when Diego Maradona was the country’s star player.
After finishing first in Group C, Argentina will play Australia on Saturday in the first knockout round. The winner of that match would play the winner between the Netherlands and the United States in the quarter-finals.
Like a week ago, Messi, who shone in the game against a team led by Polish star Robert Lewandowski, once again asked Argentina fans to have faith.