Pathetic. And so defensive.
Switzerland. Messi highlights. He assisted the winning goal. Earlier in the match, he put 1 cross in on a free kick that gave Argentina a great header that could be construed as a chance created. A game in which Di Maria was Argentina's best attacker, and most dangerous attacker all game long. Messi created nothing in open play, and the assist he got required a stunning finish by Di Maria. He didn't give him a tap-in or put him through on goal.
Or watch one of the many Messi vs. Belgium videos on youtube that show his contributions in that match. He didn't create a single chance.
His highlights were multiple dribbles of players to only lose the ball right after, make a poor pass, waste a shot, etc. He wasted an absolutely prime free kick on the edge of the area, put it wide. He had the ball with defender to beat, tried to cut across him and shoot and instead had his shot blocked. He was put clean through on goal with 2 minutes left in injury time in a 1-0 game and choked massively, shot straight at Courtois.
SO that's the WC quarterfinal.
How about creating maybe 1 chance against both Netherlands and Germany?
Need I go on, how about his appalling miss against Germany in the final, that could have won Argentina the match. Takes a poor control touch on a lovely through ball which puts him at a less-than perfect angle, and then misses the net on a chance he scores 9/10 times for Barca.
Those chance creation stats, are almost entirely from the group stage, and they include half-chances like free kicks sent in that Argentina players got heads on.
Messi was terrible after the group stage. Successful dribbles mean nothing when they don't lead to anything. Those teams were perfectly fine with Messi dribbling around midfield and then taking the ball away once Argentina got closer to the penalty area.
Regardless. 1 assist in 4 matches speaks louder than anything for a player who is supposed to be an unstoppable goalscorer and assist machine. He is 1 of the biggest reasons Argentina only scored 2 goals in 4 knockout games.