Lionel Messi recorded his 10th international hat-trick as Argentina cruised to a dominant 6-0 victory over Bolivia in their World Cup qualifying match at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires. The 37-year-old forward, who also provided two assists, has now equaled Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo for the most hat-tricks in men’s international football.
With this win, Argentina sits three points clear at the top of the South American qualifying group for the 2026 World Cup, despite a previous loss to Colombia and a draw with Venezuela earlier in the campaign.
Reflecting on the match, Messi expressed his joy: “It’s amazing to be here and feel the love from the fans. It touches me when they chant my name. This motivates me, and being with this team makes me feel young again. As long as I feel good and can play at my best, I’ll keep enjoying these moments.”
Messi, in just his second appearance for Argentina since his injury during the Copa América in July, opened the scoring in the 19th minute after capitalizing on a defensive mistake. He then assisted goals for Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez, with Thiago Almada coming off the bench to add a fourth.
Late in the game, Messi added two more goals, showcasing his magic by dribbling past two defenders to score his second before completing his hat-trick with a precise shot into the bottom corner.
Messi now boasts 112 goals in 189 appearances for Argentina, second only to Ronaldo’s 133 international goals.
Elsewhere, Raphinha’s brace helped Brazil return to form with a commanding 4-0 win over Peru in Brasilia. The winger converted penalties in both halves, while Andreas Pereira and Luiz Henrique sealed the win with late strikes. Brazil, who had endured a rough patch with four losses in their last five qualifiers, now find themselves in fourth place, six points behind Argentina after 10 matches.
Brazil’s resurgence was much-needed after their difficult run, with Raphinha commenting, “These wins were crucial. We needed to get back on track, and this was the perfect way to do it.”
In another match, Colombia secured a 4-0 victory over Chile, with Aston Villa’s in-form striker Jhon Duran netting his seventh goal of the season. Other goals came from Davinson Sanchez, Luis Diaz, and Luis Sinisterra, rounding off a successful evening in Barranquilla for the Colombian side.
SOURCE: BBC
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