Argentina, the defending FIFA World Cup champions, thrashed Curacao in a 7-0 friendly victory, giving Lionel Messi another night to remember.
A hat trick by the Paris Saint-Germain player in the first half helped Argentina cross the 100-goal barrier for the nation. Nicolas Gonzalez doubled the advantage for the home team, and Enzo Fernandez scored from the edge of the box just before halftime.
The World Cup hero reached the landmark following another noteworthy achievement of scoring 800 goals for the club and nation in the previous game against Panama, which resulted in a 2-0 victory.
The first 20 minutes of Tuesday’s game were challenging for the victorious team as Curacao fought valiantly until Messi scored the opening goal. Shortly after, Nicolas Gonzalez gave the home team a two-goal advantage with a header past Curacao goalkeeper Eloy Room. In the 33rd minute, Messi added a second goal with one of his signature curling shots that found the far post.
The fourth goal for Argentina came from Enzo Fernandez, who was set up by Messi. Two minutes later, in the 37th minute, the 35-year-old finished up his hat-trick with a straightforward finish after receiving a feed from Lo Celso.
While the home team appeared content to wrap up the match quickly in the 78th minute, replacement Angel Di Maria converted a penalty and Gonzalo Montiel completed the rout three minutes before the end of the game.
Argentina’s coach Lionel Scaloni, who stated that they “will never stop celebrating,” received numerous tributes and accolades.
“I hope there will be more (Messi goals),” he continued. “He deserves all the acclaim and it’s nice that these goals had occurred on Argentine territory, that has a unique importance too.”
