“These could be my last games.” Messi’s brilliant match with Argentina
Grigory Telingater October 16, 2024, 14:00 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
Leo made 3+2 with Bolivia and went to poker.
In Europe the main selection for the 2026 World Cup has not yet begun, and in South America a country is practically guaranteed a place in the tournament. This is the Argentine team, which beat Bolivia at home 6-0 before 84,567 spectators at the Monumental stadium. The match turned out to be so easy for the hosts that they did not even receive a single yellow card.
The Argentines lead the tie by three points over Colombia. At the same time, for the first time six teams will qualify directly for the World Cup, thanks to the expansion of the tournament from 32 to 48 teams in the final phase. The seventh team makes it to the playoffs and must beat one or two opponents (depending on ranking) to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
Selection table for the 2026 World Cup (South America)
The main hero of the Argentina-Bolivia match was Lionel Messi. The team captain scored a hat-trick and gave two assists. In one episode he had an excellent position to shoot, but he chose to pass to Lautaro Martínez and soon gave the goal to Julián Álvarez.
Messi could have made a poker move, but the Bolivian goalkeeper took a free kick into the top corner and hit the post with his head.
Assist from Lionel Messi to Lautaro Martínez
Photo: Frame of the transmission.
With this hat-trick, Messi reached 112 international goals in 189 appearances. In terms of goals for the national team, he is only surpassed by Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored 133 goals in 216 games.
After the game with the Bolivians, Lionel was asked when he plans to retire. The Argentine did not give a clear answer: “I don’t set any deadline for the selection. I just want to enjoy and feel the love of the people, because I know that these may be the last games. I love the way people shout my name. Enjoyment is what inspires me. I’m happy. Despite my age, when I am here I am as happy as a child.”
The rights to the video belong to CONMEBOL. The video is available on the CONMEBOL YouTube channel.
The main Argentine sports publication, Olé, published the headline: “Messi is great, Argentine spectacle, the World Cup is very close.” In the article, the author points out that such a defeat was achieved despite the way the Bolivian team played, which built two lines of defense in its goal. Among other things, the journalist wrote: “After the 6-0 victory, I want to break my arms with the applause.”
Olé headline: “Messi is great, Argentina’s spectacle, the World Cup is very close”
Photo: screenshot
The Argentine newspaper La Nación, as expected, highlighted Messi’s importance to the national team: “He was absent in the matches against Chile and Colombia last month, but now he is back in the team. “I played the entire match with both Venezuela and Bolivia.”
The author of La Clarín highlighted the playing style of the Argentine team: “Scaloni used a flexible 4-4-2, which from time to time transformed into a 4-3-3, with Messi and Álvarez placed sideways in the band. flanks. Argentina kept its foot on the accelerator and Messi did not forgive his rival. “It was a game in which Lionel touched the ball 88 times, more than in any other game.”
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