Lionel Messi returned to the Argentina national team with a bang on Tuesday with a hat trick and two assists in World Cup qualifying.
The 37-year-old icon also admitted that the matches he is currently playing in the twilight of his career “could be the last matches”. He refused in a post-match interview to commit to playing for Argentina in the 2026 World Cup.
Messi returned to the lineup for Tuesday’s match in Buenos Aires in front of about 85,000 raucous fans against Bolivia after missing Argentina’s previous two World Cup qualifiers with an ankle injury. He was in fine form in the 6-0 win to keep Argentina at the top. the South American ranking.
Messi opened the scoring with a breakaway goal in the 19th minute, to the delight of the crowd at the Monumental de Nuñez stadium.
Messi then assisted on a Lautaro Martínez goal in the 43rd minute that doubled Argentina’s lead to 2–0. This goal was also on a breakaway.
Julián Alvarez scored Argentina’s third goal of the evening just before halftime. This one was also thanks to an assist from Messi.
Messi did not feature in Argentina’s fourth goal, a Thiago Almada strike from just outside the goal area. But he capped that scoring outburst with two more goals to complete the hat trick.
In the 84th minute, Messi received a pass from Exequiel Palacios and weaved through the Bolivian defenders for a right-footed strike from just inside the penalty area.
Then, in the 86th minute, he completed the hat trick with another goal from just inside the box, this time with his left foot.
The more than 90-minute celebration in the stands continued amid cheers and gestures of adoration from an Argentine public surely aware that there won’t be many more of these moments.
Messi expressed his own appreciation for the moment after the match.
“It moves me” Messi said after the matchvia translation. “I like to be happy where I am. Despite my age, when I am here I look like a child because I feel comfortable with this team. As long as I feel good and that I can continue to play the way I want, we will continue to enjoy it.
Argentina is set to defend its 2022 World Cup title when the tournament moves to North America for matches in the United States, Mexico and Canada. When asked if he planned to be present for these matches, Messi instead chose to focus on the present moment.
“I haven’t set a date or a deadline,” he said. “I just want to enjoy it all. I’m more excited than ever to be here and feel the love from the people, because I know these could be the last games.”
