Argentina's Juan Pablo Sorin controls the ball during a training session in Frankfurt, June 28, 2005. Argentina and Brazil will play the Confederations Cup final match on Wednesday. (Reuters)

Lionel Messi led Argentina past Brazil 2-1 on Tuesday and into the World Youth Championship final, setting up a title match against Nigeria.

The Nigerians beat Morocco 3-0 to reach the championship game for the first time in 16 years, while Argentina has won three of the last five tournaments and will be playing for its fifth overall title.

Messi, an FC Barcelona prodigy , scored his fourth goal in the seventh minute and was the architect of Argentina's 93rd-minute winner by Pablo Zabaleta.

"It's always beautiful to beat Brazil," Messi said.

Taye Taiwo, Olubayo Adefemi and Chinedu Ogbuke scored for Nigeria, ending Morocco's improbable run and putting the west African nation in the final for the first time since it lost to Portugal in 1989. Argentina will face Nigeria on Saturday in Utrecht.

Messi's goal came on Argentina's first attack. He eluded two defenders and launched a powerful shot from outside the area that curled inside the right post.

"I found a little space on the right, looked up, and aimed for the goal," he said.

Brazil held an edge in possession, but its best chances were on set pieces, while Argentina was more dangerous on counters.

"It wasn't a great game because Argentina doesn't play a great game. It plays an ugly game waiting for its opponent to make a mistake," Brazil coach Rene Weber said. "We had more possession and more opportunities."

The win came 24 hours before the countries' senior teams meet in the Confederations Cup final in neighboring Germany.

Brazil's Renato scored on a free kick to tie it in the 75th, and the game seemed headed for extra time. But three minutes into injury time, Messi stole a ball and dribbled deep into the goal box before crossing it into the middle. Brazil failed to clear, and Zabaleta pounced, scoring off a defender's leg.

Despite playing a goal down for most of the game, Brazil played with an unusual casualness, at times appearing overly patient to press its attack.

"Brazil did have a lot of possession, but it was in areas that were less dangerous for us," Argentina coach Ferraro Francisco said. "We put pressure on Brazil when they had possession and then hit them when we needed it."

In the other semifinal, Morocco tried to remain compact defensively, but was simply overwhelmed.

"It is going to be very difficult in the final but we have a 50-50 chance," Nigerian coach Samson Siasia said.

Nigeria led in the 34th minute when Adefemi fed Taiwo, who was making a run from his left defensive position. The Olympique Marseille defender shook off a challenger, controlled the pass with one touch and unleashed a 25-yard drive that beat Moroccan keeper Mohammed Bourkadi.

Adefemi scored with 20 minutes remaining and Ogbuke headed in the final goal five minutes later.

(Agencies)