World Cup qualifier: Lionel Messi nets hattrick as Argentina thrash Bolivia 6-0
Apart from Messi, Lautaro Martinez, Julian Alvarez and Thiago Almada also found the back of the net in Buenos Aires.
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FollowLionel Messi scored a hat-trick as Argentina thrashed Bolivia 6-0 in the World Cup qualifier on Tuesday night (local time). The 37-year-old netted his first hat-trick of 2024 for the national team, while also recorded two assists in front of their own supporters at Estadio Mas Monumental in Buenos Aires. Lautaro Martinez, Julian Alvarez and Thiago Almada chipped in with one goal each.
After taking just one point from their last two outings, Argentina were desperate to return to winning ways against Bolivia. Messi opened the scoring inside the opening 19 minutes after Martinez applied pressure on the back line and the Inter Miami man got the loose ball. Messi made no mistake as he slotted home past the visiting keeper Guillermo Viscarra at the near post.
In the 43rd minute, Alvarez played a precise through ball to release Messi down the middle and the 37-year-old squared it off for Martinez to double the lead. Three minutes into the first-half injury time, Alvarez found the back of the net from Messi's free-kick, making the score 3-0.
21 minutes from time, substitute Almada finished off a well worked team move to make the score 4-0. Leandro Paredes played a brilliant diagonal ball to pick the run of right-back Nahuel Molina, and the Atletico Madrid man's first-time cross was slotted home by the 23-year-old attacker.
Messi then scored his second of the night in the 84th-minute. The Inter Miami man ran towards the Bolivian backline and slotted home into the bottom left corner with a right-footed strike from just inside the area.
The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner was not done yet. Two minutes later, he completed his hat-trick with a typical Messi-move. The former Barcelona man cut inside from the right, played a nice little one-two with Nico Paz on the edge of the box, before smashing home past Viscarra into the back of the net.
Messi now leads the South American World Cup qualifiers with six goals to his name. Argentina have moved to 22 points from ten games, three clear of the chasing pack in the ten-team table.
Also read: UEFA Nations League: Germany edge past Netherlands in Munich
