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LONDON. — Lionel Messi was at his imperious best on Sunday as he scored all five goals in Argentina’s 5-0 win against Estonia to send more football records tumbling.
Lionel Scaloni named a strong starting XI with Messi included, and the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner was certainly in the mood to improve his staggering statistics on the international stage.
The 34-year-old opened his account in the eighth minute from the penalty spot, and added a second on the stroke of half-time.
He completed his hat-trick two minutes after the interval, before scoring twice more in the final 20 minutes.
It has been reported by Argentine journalist Roy Nemer that Messi now has 1100 goal contributions in his illustrious career, having racked up 769 goals and 331 assists in 974 appearances.
His goals helped Argentina extend their unbeaten run to 33 matches, leaving them just four behind Italy’s international record of 37 matches without defeat.
Messi moved past Ferenc Puskas to become the fourth highest-scorer in international football after firing in all FIVE goals against Estonia on Sunday at Spain’s Estadio El Sadar.
Paris Saint-Germain ace Messi put on another masterclass just days after his man of the match display against Italy in the Finalissima.
The seven-time Ball d’Or winner broke the deadlock against Estonia in the eighth minute from the penalty spot before bagging another just before the break.
Messi completed his hat-trick two minutes after half-time to move level with Hungarian legend Puskas on 84 international goals.
He then scored in the 71st and 76th minute to bring his tally to 86 goals in 162 games for the South American giants.
Only Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo (117), Iran’s Ali Daei (109) and Malaysia’s Mokhtar Dahari (89) have scored more than Messi.
It is the first time that Messi has ever scored five times for Argentina.
And it is just the second time that Messi has achieved the feat having banged in five goals in Barcelona’s 7-1 mauling over Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League in 2012.
Messi also matched Manuel Seoane in 1925 and Juan Marvezzi in 1941 by scoring five goals in a single game for Argentina.
Speaking earlier last week about Argentina, the ten-time LaLiga champion said: “We keep growing, that’s what we are looking for.
“We are working on a day by day basis in order to improve further.
“We continue to say that we are not the top favourites, but we will put up a fight against anyone, because this group is hopeful, it has clear goals.
“We must keep improving. Now we have important matches in September, we need to work and improve in order to arrive the best way possible at our World Cup debut.”
The diminutive playmaker now has 769 career goals to his name, taking him past Pele.
According to FIFA statistics, Pele netted 767 times in his remarkable career that saw him win three World Cups between 1958 and 1970.
Messi entered Sunday’s match three goals behind the Brazilian icon, but it took him just 47 minutes to move level with Pele, and he scored twice more before the final whistle to go ahead of the former striker.
Messi has also extended his record when it comes to being the highest-scoring player for a South American nation, having scored 86 goals for his country.
Pele scored 77 goals for Brazil during his 14 years with the national team, but having gone past this record last year, Messi is now nine clear of Pele.
Messi moved past another legendary forward in the record books as well on Sunday, as he overtook Ferenc Puskas on the all-time list for international goals.
Puskas was part of the iconic Hungarian side that made the 1954 World Cup final, and he scored 84 goals for his country, but he has now dropped below Messi in the standings. Messi is now fourth on the list, and just three goals behind Malaysia’s Mokhtar Dahari. Messi broke an 81-year record on Sunday, becoming the first Argentine player to score five goals in a single match since 1941.
Juan Marvezzi was the last player to achieve this feat for Argentina, back in the 1941 Copa America against Ecuador. If anyone was going to end that long run, it was going to be Messi, and he duly did against Estonia. — The Sun
Online Reporter