Argentina march on after Polish show

IT was all happening on Wednesday night in Qatar.

For the last time at a men's football World Cup the best part of a 32-team format played out in all its glorious uncertainty. After a stumbling, laboured start to the tournament that began with a shock 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia, Lionel Messi and Argentina found the connect between their feet, minds and hearts and completely outplayed a Poland team who's role here at the World Cup is a tough one to put a finger on.

Getting into the tournament because Russia were thrown as a consequence of Vladimir Putin's military operation in Ukraine (they did play Sweden a week later in a one-legged knock-out), Poland have done just about enough to not warrant excessive criticism. At Stadium 974, Messi celebrated with the Argentine fans.

Having topped the group with a performance that would satisfy even the harsher critics, hundreds of millions of fans across the world, from South America to South Asia, can continue to dream about 2022 finally being the one they have waited for. Group C, as with several others in this tournament, was wide open going into the final round of fixtures. Argentina took matters into their own hands, sealing qualification with a second win. But the scenario for the others was a little less certain. Mexico played Saudi Arabia simultaneously in front of the largest collection of travelling fans in Qatar.