Argentina has settled with Bolivia on Thursday evening thanks to a hat-trick by Lionel Messi. The match in the qualifying series for the 2022 World Cup ended in 3-0. The evening in Buenos Aires grew into a football celebration not only thanks to Messi’s goals. For the first time since the corona pandemic, a football game was once again allowed to be attended by the public: 17,000 spectators in El Monumental saw Messi break Pelé’s South American record and then burst into tears when the Copa América win was finally confirmed earlier this summer. fans could be celebrated.
The first game on home soil since the win of the Copa América therefore resembled a postponed celebration. After fourteen minutes of play, Messi had already scored his first goal. The star received the ball from Leandro Paredes, played Luis Haquin through the legs and curled the ball with his left foot in the corner: 1-0. After more than an hour of play, Messi made history by making the 2-0. The Argentinian could thus call himself the most scoring international of a South American country ever.
Video of the day. Leo Messi crying tears of joy after finally celebrating Copa America with Argentinian people. ??????? #messiah…and yes, it’s even more beautiful than his great hat-trick scored tonight, becoming best South American scorer in history.pic.twitter.com/28Hbl7LBEZ
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 10, 2021
The record was held for decades by Brazilian legend Pele, who has 77 goals to his name, but Messi stands at 79 goals after the spectacle in El Monumental. Just before time, the attacker also used a rebound after a shot by Paredes: 3-0. Messi has only four players left internationally: Ferenç Puskás (Hungary, 84), Mokhtar Dahari (Malaysia, 89), Ali Daei (Iran, 109) and Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, 111). Argentina, still unbeaten, with eighteen points from eight matches, is well on its way to the World Cup after the win. Only Brazil, eight victories in eight matches, is doing better.
“I really wanted to be able to celebrate and enjoy the win of the Copa América. I had to wait a long time for the profit of this price. It was also a unique moment, also because of all the circumstances,” Messi referred with tears in his eyes to the relocation of the tournament to Brazil, the corona pandemic and the win in the final over the arch-rival in the lion’s den. “There is no better way to celebrate this here. My mother is in the stands, my brothers… They empathized with me and now we celebrate it together.”