Argentina defeated Bolivia 6-0 in the South American World Cup qualifying round. Lionel Messi equaled Cristiano Ronaldo’s record with a masterpiece, scoring his 10th international hat-trick and setting up two more goals. Messi wowed the home crowd in just his second game back after recovering from an injury he sustained during the Copa America in July, playing at the storied Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires.
Argentina seized the lead in the 19th minute when Messi skillfully slotted the ball past goalkeeper Guillermo Viscarra to take advantage of a defensive blunder by Marcelo Suarez of Bolivia. Although Viscarra produced a number of impressive stops to keep Bolivia in the match, he was unable to prevent Lautaro Martúnez from completing a short pass from Messi to double Argentina’s advantage in the 43rd minute.
Argentina went into the half fully in control after Messi set up Julián Ãlvarez to score it 3-0 just before the interval. Argentina maintained their possession dominance and chance-making in the second half. When Nicolás Otamendi attempted to add a fourth goal, it was disallowed due to offside.
Finally, in the 70th minute, Thiago Almada, a substitute, made it 4-0 after connecting with a feed from Nahuel Molina. Messi enthralled the crowd even more as the Monumental Stadium took on the feel of a carnival as he scored his second goal of the game with a stunning solo effort that involved moving past two defenders and firing a hard shot past Viscarra.
Messi completed his hat-trick in just two minutes, making history as the second player to score ten international hat-tricks, behind Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal. His left-footed goal ended an incredible performance and made the evening unforgettable for Argentina, who are still undefeated in the World Cup qualifying tournament. It also increased his overall number of goals scored for his country to 112 goals.
What was Messi’s post-match statement?
Messi stated that it was good to be back in Buenos Aires and that the support of the supporters motivates him. The Argentine star claimed that because he is at ease with the team, he feels like a child there.
“It’s really nice to come here, to feel the affection of the people, it moves me how they shout my name,” stated Messi.
“I’m driven by this. savoring my happiness right now. I feel like a kid here, even though I’m older, since I feel at ease with this team. I’ll continue to love it as long as I’m feeling good and can carry out my desired performance.”
Argentina is leading the table with 22 points, recovering well from a minor setback caused by their loss to Colombia in the previous month and their draw with Venezuela the week before.
