Enzo and MacAllister - Argentina's unlikely stars

The headlines will undoubtedly be about Messi and Alvarez - and they thoroughly deserve it too. But this win against Croatia, and their run from after the loss against Saudi Arabia to the finals has had two unlikely heroes as well. At the beginning of the World Cup, not many people would have expected substantial changes in this Argentina side. After all, they had not lost in 36 consecutive games, winning the Copa America in this run. Both Enzo Fernandez and Alexis MacAllister themselves perhaps hadn't imagined that they would be this important in their country's prospective World Cup win.

Alexis MacAllister is of Irish origin, and his father played with Diego Maradona. This last couple of weeks he is out there helping Messi get his hands on the ultimate prize. With Lo Celso injured, Argentina were in dire need of a connector - someone who could link the midfield and the attack as well as work hard without the ball. After coming into the team, MacAllister has played this role to perfection. The Brighton man, who has been in spectacular form all season, also scored against Poland in the group stage. He has also created 7 chances in the tournament so far.

Enzo Fernandez came into prominence in the same River Plate side as Julian Alvarez. The latter's goalscoring exploits overshadowed the former but now his brilliance is out in front of the whole world. He has been excellent in all the phases of play, even getting into the box and scoring a wonderful curler against Mexico. His long passing and control of the game has really caught everyone's attention. His defensive tenacity is also worth a mention. It will be surprising if he's at Benfica for much longer. According to rumours, he could be the subject of a bidding war between Real Madrid and Liverpool.

Come Sunday, all the eyeballs will be on Messi once again. But if he is to lift the elusive silverware, both Enzo and MacAllister will have to bring their best versions to the fore.