Picture Credit: Twitter
Lionel Messi is undoubtedly one of the greats of the game. While he has proven himself year and year again, at this stage of his career, he is breaking records one after the year, by virtue of being a top player over several years. It was yet another day on the field for Messi and a usual record-breaking business for Leo as he became the first South American footballer to score 80 international goals.
The former Barcelona forward achieved this feat when he scored the first goal during Argentina's 3-0 win over Uruguay in the FIFA World Cup qualifying fixture. While the 34-year-old hasn't quite shown prime form for Paris Saint-Germain after joining them in the most recent transfer window, he did manage to find the back of the net during this match, not with a clinical finish or a spot-kick but a mere pass.
The video of the goal is trending on social media:
While Messi was determined to make his move towards the penalty area, he hit the ball towards the box where Nicolas Gonzalez would have ideally looked to go for the shot, Gonzalez failed to make any contact with the ball whatsoever but the ball as it went straight into the back of the net past Uruguay's Fernando Muslera.
After the first goal from Messi, Rodrigo De Paul and Lautaro Martine also chipped in with a goal each as Argentina sealed a 3-0 win in Buenos Aires. Thanks to that win, Argentina are now second in South America's FIFA 2022 World Cup qualifying table, six points behind leaders Brazil.
"We played a great game," Messi was quoted by Reuters.
"Everything worked out perfectly," he added.
"Uruguay wait for you and they generate danger. Once we got the first goal we started to find space and the goals appeared," the six-time Ballon d'Or winner who also finds himself in the 30-member shortlist for this year's award, stated.
The match was being built up as a huge game with Messi taking on his friend and former Barca teammate Luis Suarez but as it turned out the legendary Barcelona number 10 had the last laugh.