One more day and one more impressive outing for Argentina’s goal machine, Lionel Messi. In the World Cup 2026 qualifiers game against Bolivia, the Buenos Aires stadium witnessed a Messi special as the champion scored a hat-trick against La Verde. With these three goals, Messi became the joint-top scorer for all-time international hat-tricks, tying with Portugal’s superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, who also has 10 hat-tricks.
This marked Messi’s 10th hat-trick, putting him level with Ronaldo. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has now scored 112 goals in his international career, second only to Ronaldo’s 133 for Portugal.
Lionel Messi’s International Hat-Tricks
| Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Competition | Goals | Assists |
| 2024 | Home | Bolivia | 6-0 | World Cup Qualifier | 3 | 2 |
| 2023 | Home | Curacao | 7-0 | Friendly | 3 | 0 |
| 2022 | Neutral | Estonia | 5-0 | Friendly | 5 | 1 |
| 2021 | Home | Bolivia | 3-0 | World Cup Qualifier | 3 | 0 |
| 2018 | Home | Haiti | 4-0 | Friendly | 3 | 1 |
| 2017 | Away | Ecuador | 3-1 | World Cup Qualifier | 3 | 0 |
| 2016 | Neutral | Panama | 5-0 | Copa America | 3 | 0 |
| 2013 | Away | Guatemala | 4-0 | Friendly | 4 | 0 |
| 2012 | Home | Brazil | 4-3 | Friendly | 3 | 0 |
| 2012 | Away | Switzerland | 3-1 | Friendly | 3 | 1 |
Messi, who is currently on fire with his game, is one of the key reasons why Argentina is leading the qualifiers group with 7 wins, 1 draw, and just 2 losses. The 2022 World Cup winners are currently on a roll, and at the forefront is Lionel Messi, leading the pack with his stellar performances.
Will Lionel Messi play in 2026 World Cup?
For now, the 2022 FIFA World Cup champion, Lionel Messi, hasn’t hinted at any signs of retirement. He has been a solid presence for the team and is consistently performing well in the ongoing World Cup qualifiers. After the game against Bolivia, when Messi was asked about his international future, the 37-year-old star stated that he doesn’t have a deadline for his career, which came as a big relief for his fans. Although nothing is confirmed yet but we may see this superstar taking the field again at big stage.
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