Lionel Messi showcased his brilliance at the Estadio Mas Monumental on Tuesday night, as he led Argentina to a dominant 6-0 victory over Bolivia in the CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifying match. The eight-time Ballon d’Or recipient scored a hat-trick and provided two assists, solidifying his reputation as one of the greatest players in football history.
Messi opened the scoring just 19 minutes into the match, taking advantage of a defensive mishap from Bolivia. He then assisted Lautaro Martinez for the second goal, allowing Martinez an easy tap-in after Messi maneuvered past two defenders. The third goal came in first-half stoppage time when Messi quickly executed a free kick that set up Julian Alvarez.
In the second half, Argentina continued to dominate. Thiago Almada, who was a substitute, added a fourth goal in the 70th minute. Messi then scored two late goals in the 84th and 86th minutes to complete his hat-trick. His second goal was a precise shot into the bottom-right corner with his weaker right foot, and he later finished a slick one-two with Nico Paz to seal the match at 6-0.
This win keeps La Albiceleste in first place in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying standings, amassing 22 points from 10 matches played.