By TYLER GRAY

It took him just more than 90 minutes, but the four-time Ballon d’Or winner finally gave Argentina the boost that they needed.

In the first minute of second half stoppage time, Lionel Messi had the ball at his feet just outside the 18-yard box. After hesitating slightly, the Argentine captain took a small touch to his left and blasted a shot all the way to the far side of the goal, finally beating Iranian goalkeeper Alireza Haghighi and booking Argentina’s ticket to the knockout rounds with a 1-0 victory.

Messi’s 91st minute strike earned him the Man of the Match award over goalkeepers Sergio Romero and Haghighi.

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What did you think of Messi’s performance? Which player stood out for you in Argentina’s late win over Iran?

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