'Golden boot' Messi ready for Qatar World Cup 2022; fans elated after Argentina's 5-0 friendly rout of UAE

Legendary forward Lionel Messi was on target as Argentina warmed up for the Qatar World Cup 2022 with a 5-0 rout of the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday. Fans are delighted to see their favourite player all set for the showpiece event, with his golden boots creating all the buzz.

Image Credit: Getty Images

The Qatar World Cup 2022 will be legendary Argentinian forward Lionel Messi's last outing in the glittering showpiece tournament, and fans will be hoping the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star eventually lifts the coveted trophy that has eluded his illustrious career. On Wednesday, Argentina warmed up for the World Cup with a 5-0 rout against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in a friendly clash, and the 35-year-old icon was on target.

After Messi set up Manchester City's Julian Alvarez for the game's first goal in the 17th minute, Angel Di Maria quickly scored a brace. Messi then scored his 91st goal for his country, and Joaquin Correa added a fifth on the hour mark, sparking massive excitement among fans of the South American nation.

Messi's goal and assist was not the only highlight of the game. The former Barcelona legend's golden 'Adidas X Messi 2022 World Cup Speedportal boots' became the talk of the town, with several supporters claiming that the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner is all set to create magic in Qatar. The Golden boots are themed around the colour of the trophy, which the Argentinian captain will surely be looking to lift come December.

Messi has made this form and style of boot his hallmark; therefore, the shape of the boots is comparable to his vintage Adidas F50s from a few years back. "Messiah ready for that World Cup," noted one fan on Twitter. Another added, "Looking for the century very soon." A third supporter said, "Bring on Saudi Arabia."

Image Credit: Lionel Messi Instagram

Messi shared photographs of Wednesday night's friendly against UAE on his Instagram. "Thank you for so much," wrote Giovani Lo Celso in the comment box. His wife Antonela Roccuzzo, PSG teammate Neymar's former girlfriend Bruna Biancardi, and legendary Manchester City and Argentinian icon Sergio Aguero were among those who poured their love for the 35-year-old star.

Image Credit: Getty Images

"Vamos Argentina!" wrote Alvarez in this Instagram post, while Di Maria, who scored two goals in the 5-0 thrashing, wrote, "Good game to continue to grow and prepare for what's coming. Happy for the great work by everyone. LET'S GO ARGENTINA!!! @locelsogiovani you are so missed buddy."

Argentina is heading to the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar on the back of a 35-game unbeaten run and a Copa America win last summer. Messi had previously lost the 2007, 2015, and 2016 Copa America finals, making the 2021 victory his first trophy. The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner would undoubtedly want to add the coveted trophy to that collection in order to atone for the 2014 World Cup final defeat to Germany. Argentina start their campaign against Saudi Arabia in the Group C opener on Tuesday (November 22). The other two counties in the group are  Mexico (November 27) and Poland (December 1).