Messi passes Pele with hat trick
Lionel Messi became the top international goal scorer in South American history Thursday, overtaking Brazil’s Pele. The 34-year-old netted all the goals in Argentina’s 3-0 win against Bolivia in World Cup qualifying, and now has 79 for the national team.
Messi scored his goals in 153 caps for Argentina. Pele netted his 77 in 92 official matches for Brazil.
Each of the goals at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires, in front of about 20,000 fans, was a piece of art by the six-time Ballon D’Or winner.
The first came in the 14th minute, with Messi moving the ball between a Bolivian defender’s legs and shooting from outside the box to the right of goalkeeper Carlos Lampe.
The second came in the 64th minute after he and striker Lautaro Martinez dazzled the Bolivian defense with a quick exchange of four passes. Messi still had time to dribble past one defender before scoring.
Messi completed his hat trick in the 88th minute from close range after getting a rebound from Lampe.
Messi won his first title with Argentina this summer, winning the Copa America. Pele, the 80-year-old who is in a hospital because of surgery for a tumor on his colon, won three World Cups with Brazil.
Messi didn’t speak about the record after the match, but celebrated by lifting the Copa America trophy — which was won in Brazil — in front of home fans, who were allowed to attend after a 20-month pause caused by the pandemic.
“I waited a lot of time for this. I sought this. I dreamed about this,” he said.“There was no better way to celebrate
than being here. My mom, my brothers are here in the tribunes. … They suffered a lot and today they are here celebrating. I am very happy.”
Argentina is in second place in South American qualifying with 18 points. First-place Brazil, which has 24 points, beat Peru 2-0, a win that included a goal from Messi’s Paris Saint-Germain teammate Neymar in the 40th minute.
Uruguay had a 1-0 victory over Ecuador to move into third place on the table with 15 points, knocking Ecuador (13 points) into fourth.
The top four teams in South American qualifiers get direct spots in next year’s World Cup in Qatar, and the fifth-place team will go into an intercontinental playoff.