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The 37-year-old Inter Miami star’s three goals marked his 10th international hat-trick, tying him with Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo for the most hat-tricks in men’s international football.
Argentina’s dominant performance places them three points clear at the top of the South American qualifying group for the 2026 World Cup, despite recent setbacks, including a loss to Colombia and a draw with Venezuela.
Reflecting on his performance, Messi shared, “It’s really nice to come here, to feel the affection of the people. It moves me how they shout my name.”
Messi’s magic was on full display as he capitalised on a defensive error to open the scoring after 19 minutes.
He then set up Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez, before substitute Thiago Almada added a fourth. Messi sealed his hat-trick with two goals in two minutes late in the game, beating defenders and firing into the bottom corner.
Despite his age, Messi remains driven and inspired. “As long as I feel good and can keep performing the way I want, I’ll keep enjoying it,” he said.
The win bolsters Argentina’s chances of automatic qualification, while Messi’s tally rises to 112 international goals, second only to Ronaldo’s 133.
Elsewhere, Brazil secured a 4-0 win over Peru, and Colombia beat Chile 4-0, with Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran adding another goal to his impressive season tally.
