Lionel Messi hat-trick leads Argentina to 6-0 win over Bolivia

Messi moved level with Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo for the astir hat-tricks successful men’s planetary football.

Lionel Messi has scored his 10th planetary hat-trick and grabbed 2 assists arsenic Argentina thrashed Bolivia 6-0 successful South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup successful beforehand of an adoring location assemblage astatine the Monumental Stadium.

Making lone his 2nd planetary quality since recovering from an wounded sustained astatine the Copa America successful July, Messi capitalised connected a mistake by defender Marcelo Suarez to unfastened the scoring successful the 19th infinitesimal connected Tuesday.

Bolivia goalkeeper Guillermo Viscarra made a mates of good saves to forestall the hosts from extending their pb – but helium was beaten successful the 43rd infinitesimal erstwhile Lautaro Martinez scored from Messi’s speedy cross. Argentina made it 3-0 conscionable earlier the break, with Messi mounting up Julian Alvarez to score.

Lionel Scaloni’s broadside controlled the 2nd fractional arsenic well. It looked similar they had extended their pb done Nicolas Otamendi, lone to spot the extremity disallowed for offside.

Nahuel Molina’s assistance successful the 70th infinitesimal allowed substitute Thiago Almada to person different goal, making it 4-0 successful favour of the location side.

Argentina’s Lionel Messi successful enactment [Agustin Marcarian/Reuters]

Messi, 37, gave Argentina fans much crushed to observe successful the closing moments, beating 2 Bolivia defenders earlier unleashing a fierce changeable past Viscarra to people his 2nd extremity of the contest.

Messi needed lone 2 much minutes to implicit the hat-trick. The Argentinian skipper scored connected a left-footed thrust to instrumentality his tally to 112 goals for his country. That extremity besides moved Messi level with Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo arsenic the subordinate with the astir hat-tricks successful planetary men’s football.

“It’s truly bully to travel here, to consciousness the affection of the people, it moves maine however they outcry my name,” said Messi, who erstwhile again refused to accidental whether helium volition play successful the adjacent World Cup successful 2026.

“This drives me. Enjoying being blessed wherever I am. Despite my age, erstwhile I’m here, I consciousness similar a kid due to the fact that I’m comfy with this team,” helium added.

Argentina pb the South American World Cup qualifying with 22 points aft 10 matches, 3 points wide of second-place Colombia, who bushed Chile 4-0 connected Tuesday. Uruguay, which earlier had a goalless gully with Ecuador, and Brazil person 16 points each, with the Uruguayans successful 3rd spot connected extremity difference.

Bolivia, seeking to suffice for the World Cup for the archetypal clip successful 30 years, stay successful contention with 12 points. The apical six teams unafraid automatic berths successful the 2026 World Cup.

Argentina fans wrong the stadium during the lucifer [Matias Baglietto/Reuters]