Lionel Messi scored his 10th international hat-trick as Argentina secured a 6-0 victory against Bolivia in the South American World Cup qualifiers. The 37-year-old forward, currently playing for Inter Miami, also provided two assists at Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires. With this performance, Messi equaled Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo for the most hat-tricks in men’s international football.
Argentina, now leading the South American group for the 2026 World Cup with three points ahead of Colombia, achieved this result despite recent setbacks, including a loss to Colombia in September and a draw with Venezuela last week.
Messi expressed his delight after the game, saying, “It’s really nice to come here, to feel the affection of the people. It moves me how they shout my name. This drives me – enjoying being happy where I am. Despite my age, when I’m here, I feel like a kid because I’m comfortable with this team. As long as I feel good and can keep performing the way I want, I’ll keep enjoying it.”
In only his second appearance for Argentina since suffering an injury during the Copa America in July, Messi opened the scoring after 19 minutes, taking advantage of a defensive mistake. He then assisted Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez before Thiago Almada, coming off the bench, added a fourth goal. Messi completed his hat-trick late in the game with two goals in quick succession, bringing his international tally to 112 goals in 189 appearances, second only to Ronaldo’s 133 goals in men’s international football.
Elsewhere, Brazil earned a 4-0 win against Peru in Brasilia, with Raphinha scoring twice, both from penalties. Late goals from Andreas Pereira and Luiz Henrique sealed the victory. Brazil’s performance marked a turnaround after losing four of their previous five qualifiers. With 10 games played, Brazil now sits fourth in the table, six points behind Argentina.
Colombia also recorded a 4-0 win over Chile, with Jhon Duran, Davinson Sanchez, Luis Diaz, and Luis Sinisterra finding the net in Barranquilla.
