Why Argentina's Gonzalo Higuaín shines brightest in big games

Gonzalo Higuaín has never seen Argentina win a World Cup. Born on 10 December 1987, he arrived 18 months too late for his nation’s famous 3-2 victory over West Germany in Mexico City. He was still only two when Argentina finished as runners-up to those same opponents at Italia 90. 

Too young to remember the latter tournament first-hand, Higuaín’s experience of World Cups had been far more disappointing. He watched Argentina crash out at the last-16 in 1994, the quarter-finals in 1998 then 2006, and even the group stage in 2002. Four years ago in South Africa, he was part of a highly-touted squad that dazzled early on only to be humiliated 4-0 by Germany in the quarters. 

In such circumstances, a player might be forgiven for seeking to lower fans’ expectations – playing down all links with their nation’s more glorious past. But Higuaín has taken the opposite approach. 

Since joining Napoli last summer, the forward has endured constant comparison with the greatest of all his footballing compatriots, Diego Maradona – who led the Italian club to the only two Serie A titles in its history after inspiring Argentina to World Cup success in 1986. Rather than shy away from such talk, Higuaín has declared himself determined to follow in Maradona’s footsteps. 

“I do not feel the weight of responsibility,” Higuaín told reporters in February. “In fact, I want to do exactly as Maradona did. I will win the World Cup first, and then the Scudetto.”

He moved a step closer to achieving those goals on Saturday, when his brilliant first-time effort from the edge of the box saw Argentina past Belgium. In an afternoon when his team had surrendered both possession and field position to their opponents, it was a moment of game-changing opportunism. Angel Di Maria’s pass had not even been intended for Higuaín, but deflected into his path off the leg of a Belgian defender. 

Even once the ball arrived at the striker’s feet, few could have expected to see it dispatched with such aplomb. Higuaín’s performances through the first four games of this tournament had been underwhelming, with no goals to show for his efforts against Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iran, Nigeria or Switzerland. Crowded out too easily by packed defences, he had compounded the situation by giving the ball away cheaply once it did arrive at his feet. 

A lack of sharpness was to be expected. Higuaín arrived in Brazil still nursing an ankle injury suffered while playing for Napoli at the end of April, and was not even deemed fit enough to start Argentina’s first game – coming on as a second-half substitute. 

But World Cups are too brief and too important to indulge a player’s slow return to health. In total, Higuaín had not scored in six games for Argentina – his longest-ever dry run for the national team. If he could not contribute, then many fans felt he should not be in the side. Maradona himself opined before the Belgium game that it was time to drop the Napoli player. 

Happily for Argentina, Alejandro Sabella was not listening. Not to Maradona, at any rate. Reports from earlier in this tournament did suggest that the manager was under pressure from Lionel Messi to include Higuaín in his teams. The Barcelona player made clear how much he enjoys working alongside the striker when he told reporters that he would love to have him as a club team-mate, too.

“I don’t know Barcelona’s future plans, but I have talked about that with [Higuaín] and the truth is that I would be very happy if he arrived and played on my team,” said Messi after the Bosnia-Herzegovina win. “We understand each other very well, and he is one of the best attackers in circulation.”

Those words caused a furore back at Napoli, who quickly asserted that the player was not for sale. Higuaín declined to speak on the matter at first, but has since stated that he has no intention to leave. 

Regardless of such speculation, the fact remained that Argentina’s most important player had recognised Higuaín’s value to the team. Even when not scoring, the striker was offering something that the Albiceleste did not otherwise have – a direct and deceptively muscular player whose aggression forced opposing defenders to back off, creating gaps between them and the midfield. 

The difference was seen most clearly in the Bosnia-Herzegovina game, where Higuaín’s introduction was accompanied by Sabella switching his team’s formation from a 3-5-2 into a 4-3-3. Almost immediately, Messi found more room to operate between the lines. It was Higuaín who provided the assist on his winning goal. 

But of course, Sabella still wanted more. For all that Messi was able to drag Argentina through the group stage, scoring four goals in three games, it has always been clear that they would need more to go all the way in this competition. Even Maradona in 1986 still needed José Luis Brown, Jorge Valdano and Jorge Burruchaga to score the goals that defeated West Germany in the final. 

The good news for Argentina is that Higuaín has made a habit throughout his career of shining brightest in the biggest games. Two of his first senior goals arrived in a Copa Libertadores win for River Plate over Corinthians. He was still just 18 when he scored a brace against Boca Juniors in the SuperClasico. 

In his first full season at Real Madrid, Higuaín scored just eight league goals, but among them was the strike that sealed his team’s La Liga title. And while his first year with Napoli did not yield quite such a significant result, he did find the net in Champions League wins over Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal and Marseille.

And now he has scored the goal that puts his country in a World Cup semi-final – their first in 24 years. There is time yet for him to make an even bigger impact in Brazil. 

Back in 1982, Paolo Rossi failed to score through the first four games of his World Cup with Italy. Manager Enzo Bearzot was criticised for showing so much faith in the striker, and came under pressure to make a change. Instead he stood firm and was rewarded. Rossi scored six goals in Italy’s remaining three games as they claimed a third world title. 

That is the same number that Argentina will have if they can just win their next two games. Easier said than done, of course. But a few more goals from Higuaín would certainly go a long way.