[caption id="attachment_23753" align="aligncenter" width="570"]
Image credit- ESPN[/caption]
Lionel Messi makes history as he became the third male player to have surpassed the 100 mark in international goals, as he blew past the century mark by scoring a hat trick during the first half of Argentina’s friendly match with Curacao on Tuesday in Santiago del Estero. The scores stood at 7-0 at the end of the match as Messi scored the ninth hat-trick of his international career.
The forward of Paris Saint-Germain hit the 100th mark milestone when he got possession of the ball in the middle of the area and then cutting to his right made a low shot right past the goalkeeper. The crowd went wild with cheers as this achievement was long due for Messi. But things didn’t end there, as the player kept adding to his tally with a second and third one, taking his total of international goals up to 102.
This remarkable milestone was achieved as Messi made his 174th appearance on behalf of his country, after having scored his 99th international goal in a 2-0 win against Panama on Thursday. It was also the 800th goal of his career. Messi also made his mark as the first male football player from South America to have hit the 100-goal mark and the second player overall from the continent, ranking right after Marta from Brazil, who holds a record of 109 international goals for the country.
According to reports, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni commented on Messi’s achievement saying: "I hope there will be more, he deserves all the praise and it's good that these goals had been on Argentine soil, that has a special value too."
After taking home the 2022 World Cup in Qatar in December, which was also their first title in 36 years, the match against Curacao was their second international match. At 35, Messi remains at the third position on the all-time men's list of leading international scorers, preceded by Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal, who achieved his 100th goal in September 2020, and whose score now stands at 120, and Ali Daei of Iran, with a score of 109 before his retirement in 2007.
Of his total international scores, 46 have come from international friendlies and 28 from World Cup qualifiers, one of the most memorable ones being the hat trick against Ecuador in October 2017, where Argentina won 3-1, and their passage to the 2018 World Cup was secured. He has scored 13 times in Copa America and stands to be the highest goal scorer for Argentina at World Cup matches, with a record of 13 goals in 26 matches across 5 editions, commencing from 2006. He also holds the record of being the winner of seven Ballon d'Or.
Messi debuted as an International Argentine player in August 2005 in Hungary where the team won 2-1. Messi however, was sent off after just two minutes. A year later, which was his sixth appearance, he scored his first international goal against Croatia and hasn’t looked back ever since.
All eyes are now fixed on this player from Rosario, as Messi would have the occasion of adding to the tally of his international goals, as Argentina is to host Curacao in a friendly match scheduled on 28th March.
Image credit- ESPN[/caption]Lionel Messi makes history as he became the third male player to have surpassed the 100 mark in international goals, as he blew past the century mark by scoring a hat trick during the first half of Argentina’s friendly match with Curacao on Tuesday in Santiago del Estero. The scores stood at 7-0 at the end of the match as Messi scored the ninth hat-trick of his international career.
The forward of Paris Saint-Germain hit the 100th mark milestone when he got possession of the ball in the middle of the area and then cutting to his right made a low shot right past the goalkeeper. The crowd went wild with cheers as this achievement was long due for Messi. But things didn’t end there, as the player kept adding to his tally with a second and third one, taking his total of international goals up to 102.
This remarkable milestone was achieved as Messi made his 174th appearance on behalf of his country, after having scored his 99th international goal in a 2-0 win against Panama on Thursday. It was also the 800th goal of his career. Messi also made his mark as the first male football player from South America to have hit the 100-goal mark and the second player overall from the continent, ranking right after Marta from Brazil, who holds a record of 109 international goals for the country.
According to reports, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni commented on Messi’s achievement saying: "I hope there will be more, he deserves all the praise and it's good that these goals had been on Argentine soil, that has a special value too."
After taking home the 2022 World Cup in Qatar in December, which was also their first title in 36 years, the match against Curacao was their second international match. At 35, Messi remains at the third position on the all-time men's list of leading international scorers, preceded by Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal, who achieved his 100th goal in September 2020, and whose score now stands at 120, and Ali Daei of Iran, with a score of 109 before his retirement in 2007.
Of his total international scores, 46 have come from international friendlies and 28 from World Cup qualifiers, one of the most memorable ones being the hat trick against Ecuador in October 2017, where Argentina won 3-1, and their passage to the 2018 World Cup was secured. He has scored 13 times in Copa America and stands to be the highest goal scorer for Argentina at World Cup matches, with a record of 13 goals in 26 matches across 5 editions, commencing from 2006. He also holds the record of being the winner of seven Ballon d'Or.
Messi debuted as an International Argentine player in August 2005 in Hungary where the team won 2-1. Messi however, was sent off after just two minutes. A year later, which was his sixth appearance, he scored his first international goal against Croatia and hasn’t looked back ever since.
All eyes are now fixed on this player from Rosario, as Messi would have the occasion of adding to the tally of his international goals, as Argentina is to host Curacao in a friendly match scheduled on 28th March.
