On Tuesday, during Argentina’s 7-0 friendly victory against Curacao in Santiago del Estero, Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick to exceed the 100-goal milestone for the World Cup winners.
Giovani Lo Celso set up Argentina’s top scorer in the middle of the box for him to tuck in a low shot after 20 minutes, marking his 100th goal for his country.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said to reporters, “We will never stop celebrating and I believe it’s fair and justified.
“I hope there will be more, he deserves all the kudos, and it’s fantastic that these goals were on Argentinean territory,” said the fan.
Shortly after, Nicolas Gonzalez gave the home team a two-goal advantage with a header past Curacao goalkeeper Eloy Room. In the 33rd minute, Messi added a second goal with one of his signature curving shots that found the far post.
Two minutes later, Messi set up Enzo Fernandez to score from the outside of the box for Argentina’s fourth goal, and in the 37th minute, the 35-year-old easily finished off another ball from Lo Celso to complete his hat-trick.
In the 78th minute, substitute Angel Di Maria scored from the penalty spot, and three minutes before the end, Gonzalo Montiel, who had converted Argentina’s last penalty to defeat France in the World Cup final, completed the devastation.
In the list of players with the most goals scored for national teams in official matches, the Argentine captain is just two goals behind Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal (122 goals) and Ali Daei of Iran (109 goals).
