LUSAIL, Qatar: Lionel Messi, Argentina's superstar finished the quarter finals with Netherlands ending up with a bloodied top lip, yelling abuse at opponents and even blasting the referee.

And, of course, there were goals for one of the game's all-time greats, whose bid to win the World Cup for the first time remains on track.

Messi is heading to the semifinals with Argentina after a chaotic penalty-shootout victory over the Netherlands that had just about everything on Friday.

Lionel Messi scored a penalty in regulation time and converted his spot kick in the shootout. Argentina will now face Croatia, which beat Brazil earlier Friday. Lautaro Martinez scored a clinching penalty for Argentina.

“We had to suffer,” Messi said, “but we got through.”

Messi did, especially, in an often violent match that featured 17 yellow cards — a record for a World Cup match — two of which went to Netherlands defender Denzel Dumfries, leading to him getting sent off after the game.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni called the game "ugly" and Messi was critical of the Spanish referee, Antonio Mateu, saying: "I don't think he was up to the standard.

Messi and his teammates hung around on the field for 20 minutes at the end, taking turns dancing and jumping up and down in front of Argentina’s celebrating scarf-waving fans.

Messi said the late Diego Maradona was looking over the team.

“Diego is watching us from heaven,” Messi said of the former Argentina captain and coach who died two years ago. “He is pushing us. I hope it stays like that until the end.”

It is only the second time Argentina has reached the last four since 1990. In 2014, Messi was part of the team that lost to Germany in the final and he looks in the mood to get there again in a tournament that he is turning into his own personal highlight reel.

Messi delivered a mesmerizing piece of skill and vision to set up the opening goal for Nahuel Molina in the 35th minute. He twisted free in central midfield and burst forward, unbalancing Netherlands defender Nathan Ake and then delivering a no-look reverse pass for Molina to finish his first international goal.

Messi now has 94 goals in his 169 international games. His team trailing 2-0, Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal sent on two tall strikers — Weghorst and Luuk De Jong — and even told center back Virgil van Dijk to play up front.

Off a cleverly worked free-kick routine learned by Weghorst at his Turkish club, Besiktas, Teun Koopmeiners feigned to take a shot at goal from the edge of the area but instead played it short and low into the middle of the area. It deceived the Argentine defense as Weghorst took a touch, held off his marker and slotted home a finish on the stretch.

Enzo Fernandez hit the post near the end of extra time and was then the only Argentina player to fail to score in the shootout. Martinez’s saves were from attempts by Van Dijk and Steven Berghuis, after which he pulled his shorts high and danced a jig.

The loss ended the 71-year-old Van Gaal’s third stint in charge of the Netherlands. He was also the team’s coach at the World Cup in 2014 when Argentina beat the Dutch in a penalty shootout in the semifinals.

“Ever since we arrived here,” Van Gaal said, “we have been focused on penalties. We thought we were going to win the penalty shootout.”
Argentina defenders Marcus Acuna and Gonzalo Montiel will miss the semifinals after collecting second yellow cards of the tournament.