Messi converted his penalty in the shootout and Argentina goalkeeper Emilio Martinez saved two attempts. Lautaro Martinez scored the clinching penalty.

The match finished 2-2 after extra time, with Messi scoring one goal and setting up another. The Netherlands equalised in the 11th minute of second-half stoppage time.

Argentina will play Croatia in the last four on Tuesday after the 2018 runner-up beat Brazil earlier Friday.

It is only the second time Argentina have reached the last four since 1990. In 2014, Messi was part of the team that lost to Germany in the final.

"Argentina are among the four best in the world because they show that they know how to play every game with the same desire and the same intensity," said the 35-year-old Messi.

"A lot of joy, a lot of happiness. We didn't have to go to extra time or penalties, we had to suffer. But we got through and it's impressive.

"We are a team which knows what we are doing. We love to win. We want to be protagonists and really lust for the trophy.

"We didn't expect the Dutch to come back although we knew they would be tough. We know we had to be unified in the shootout."

He looks in the mood to get there again in a tournament that he is turning into his own personal highlight reel.

When Lautaro Martinez's penalty hit the net, Messi didn't head to the striker - unlike the rest of the team - but sprinted to his goalkeeper and jumped into his arms.

Messi had produced a mesmerising piece of skill to set up the opening goal for Nahuel Molina in the 35th minute and then converted a penalty in the 73rd to make it 2-0 with his fourth goal of this year's World Cup.

It took him to 10 goals in the World Cup, tied with Gabriel Batistuta for the most for Argentina, and 94 goals in total in his 169 international games.

The game was taken to extra time after a goal deep in second-half stoppage time by Wout Weghorst, who entered as a substitute in the 78th minute and made it 2-1 five minutes later.

It was the latest second-half goal scored in a knockout-stage game at a World Cup and was cleverly worked, with Teun Koopmeiners feigning to curl a free kick into the area only to play it short and deceive the Argentine defence.

Weghorst took a touch, held off his marker and slotted home a finish on the stretch.

The game featured 17 yellow cards, including one for Messi, who had blood coming from his upper lip at one stage.

Enzo Fernandes hit the post near the end of extra time and was the only Argentina player to fail to score in the shootout.

The defeat was the first for the Dutch in 20 matches going back to last year's European Championship and brought an end to 71-year-old Louis van Gaal's third spell as coach.

"We practised on penalties all year and then you screw it up," said Van Gaal. "That's a pity.

"As a coach, I want to have everything under control. That is why I asked the players to take a penalty at their club, they all did. If you miss two, you won't win anymore. You simply cannot simulate such a series."

Australian Associated Press