Lionel Messi Opens Up on Brilliant World Cup Assist to Molina Against Netherlands

• Lionel Messi delivered some moments of brilliance at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar
• One of those was the incredible defence-cutting pass for Nahuel Molina against the Netherlands
• Messi has detailed his thoughts on the pass when asked by Molina in a live interview

Lionel Messi captained Argentina to the 2022 FIFA World Cup triumph in Qatar and had some of the competition's unforgettable moments, including a genius assist against the Netherlands in the quarter-final.

It was the last piece of silverware he was yet to win in his illustrious career, and he had to be the team leader on and off the pitch to conquer his last big battle in football.

Argentina put behind a disappointing opening loss to minions Saudi Arabia and put up classic performances in their remaining six games, including the final against defending champions France.

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One of the games that defined the Argentines was the shootout win over the Netherlands after an intense 120 minutes ended in a 2-2 draw, a game described by The Telegraph as a grudge match due to the pre and post-match drama.

Messi admits spotting Molina's run

Messi cut open the Dutch defence with a pass for right-back Nahuel Molina, who struggled to break free from his man and hit the ball past the on-rushing goalkeeper into the bottom corner.

The Atletico Madrid defender was in awe and only recently got the opportunity to ask his captain how he pulled that off, and the former Paris Saint-Germain star admitted to spotting his run.

“Yes, I saw him,” Messi told TV Publica. “I saw him keep running. I understood that the natural thing at that moment was to pass the ball to the side.”

“I thought it was appropriate to deliver it to him because I thought the defence was expecting something different. I did not hear him, but I saw him,” he added.

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The 36-year-old added one more exciting moment in the semi-final against Croatia when he made light work of defender Josko Gvardiol to set up Julian Alvarez.

Messi’s six moments in Qatar

Sports Brief previously reported Messi’s six unforgettable World Cup moments as revealed by the former Barcelona player in celebration of the six months anniversary of the triumph.

The 36-year-old recapped some of the best moments in Qatar, which include his incredible assist for Nahuel Molina against the Netherlands and his opening goal against Mexico.