Lionel Messi on Tuesday scored his 10th international hat-trick to raise his career total to 112 goals and also had a pair of assists to lead Argentina over Bolivia 6-0 in a FIFA World Cup qualifier.
After missing a pair of qualifiers this month while recovering from a right ankle injury sustained in the Copa America, Messi played the entire match before raucous fans at Estadio Monumental who chanted his name after he opened the scoring in the 19th minute.
Messi added goals in the 84th and 86th minutes. The 37-year-old is second on the career scoring list behind the 133 of Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo.
Photo: AFP
Rival Brazil and under-pressure coach Dorival Junio got some relief with a convincing performance in a 4-0 home win against Peru.
Argentina lead South American qualifying with 22 points after 10 games, three points clear of second-placed Colombia, who beat Chile 4-0.
Uruguay, who earlier had a goalless draw with Ecuador, and Brazil have 16 points each, with Uruguay in third place on goal-difference.
Photo: AFP
Ecuador and Paraguay follow with 13 points apiece, with Ecuador fifth on goal-difference.
The top six teams in the 10-team qualifying group secure automatic berths in the 2026 World Cup. The seventh-placed team, currently Bolivia, are to play in an international playoff for a spot in the tournament.
Two more rounds are to be played next month.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Messi’s first goal came after a mistake by a Bolivia defender, who missed a pass, allowing Messi to run freely and finish unchallenged in front of goalkeeper Billy Viscarra.
Messi assisted on Lautaro Martinez’s 43rd-minute goal and gave a decisive pass as Julian Alvarez scored in the third minute of first-half stoppage time.
Thiago Almada scored in the 69th minute off a low cross by Nahuel Molina before Messi had great finishing touches from the edge of the area.
“We enjoyed this, we are happy to be here playing in Argentina,” said Messi, who once again refused to say whether he will play in the next World Cup in 2026. “This could be one of the last” matches in front of an Argentine crowd.
Bolivia, who are seeking to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 30 years, remained in contention with 12 points.
Paraguay beat Venezuela 2-1 and moved into a qualifying position in the standings. Jon Aramburo opened the scoring for the visitors in the 25th minute, but Antonio Sarabia came off the bench to score goals in the 59th and 74th minutes.
Additional reporting by AFP
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