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Lionel Messi scored his 10th international hat-trick as Argentina demolished Bolivia 6-0 in World Cup qualifying at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires. The 37-year-old Inter Miami forward, who also provided two assists, equaled Cristiano Ronaldo’s record for the most hat-tricks in men’s international football.
Argentina now sit three points clear of Colombia atop the South American qualifying group for the 2026 World Cup, despite earlier setbacks with a loss to Colombia in September and a draw against Venezuela last week.
“It’s really nice to come here, to feel the affection of the people. It moves me how they shout my name,” Messi said after the match. “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.”
Messi, making just his second appearance for Argentina since suffering an injury during the Copa America in July, opened the scoring after capitalizing on a defensive error in the 19th minute. He then assisted goals for Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez, before substitute Thiago Almada made it 4-0. Late in the game, Messi struck twice within two minutes, beating defenders to fire in his second and securing the hat-trick with a shot into the bottom corner.
With 112 goals in 189 international appearances, Messi is now second only to Ronaldo, who has 133 goals, in the men’s international goal rankings.
Brazil Bounces Back with 4-0 Win Over Peru
Meanwhile, Brazil ended their slump with a commanding 4-0 victory over Peru in Brasilia. Raphinha scored twice from the penalty spot before late goals from Fulham’s Andreas Pereira and Luiz Henrique sealed the win. Brazil, who had lost four of their past five qualifiers, now sit fourth in the table, six points behind Argentina after 10 games.
“We needed this. It was really important winning both games to get back on track,” Raphinha said post-match.
Colombia Thrashes Chile 4-0
In Barranquilla, Colombia hammered Chile 4-0, with in-form Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran netting his seventh goal of the season. Davinson Sanchez, Liverpool’s Luis Diaz, and Bournemouth’s Luis Sinisterra also got on the scoresheet as Colombia continues to push for World Cup qualification.
The top six teams in South American qualifying automatically secure spots for the 2026 World Cup, to be hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
