Buenos Aires: Argentine star Lionel Messi has added another feather to his cap. Lionel Messi has become the top international goal scorer in South American football history, overtaking Brazil’s Pelé. Messi scored a hat-trick in Argentina’s 3-0 win against Bolivia in the World Cup qualifying match Thursday. He now has 79 goals for the national team. He achieved the feat in his 153rd game for Argentina. Pele, on the other hand, got 77 goals for Brazil in 92 matches.
All the goals scored by Messi at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires, in front of about 20,000 fans, were pieces of art by the six-time Ballon d’Or winner.
The first came in the 14th minute. Messi moved the ball between a Bolivian defender’s legs and shot from outside the box to the right of Bolivian goalkeeper Carlos Lampe. The second came in the 64th minute. Messi and striker Lautaro Martinez dazzled the Bolivian defense with a quick exchange of four passes. Then Messi still had time to dribble past one defender before scoring. Messi completed his hat-trick in the 88th minute from close range after getting a rebound from Lampe.
Messi didn’t speak about the record after the match. However, he celebrated the feat by lifting the Copa America trophy in front of home fans. They were allowed to attend a game after a 20-month pause caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
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“I waited a lot of time for this, I sought this, I dreamed about this,” Messi said. “It is a single moment because of the way it happened, after so much wait. There was no better way to celebrate than being here. My mom, my brothers are here in the tribunes… They suffered a lot and today they are here celebrating. I am very happy,” added the Argentina superstar.
Messi had a troubled relationship with the national team, with a series of hurtful defeats in World Cups and Copa Americas. However, all issues were solved when he led Argentina to the Copa America title against Brazil in July. It was his first major title with Argentina, a team that was in a 28-year title drought.
Three-time World Cup winner Pelé is currently in hospital due to surgery for a tumor on his colon.