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Lionel Messi is now just two assists away from breaking the international record following his stellar performance in Argentina’s 6-0 win against Bolivia. The 37-year-old star forward had five goal contributions, including a hat trick in La Albiceleste's World Cup Qualifiers match on October 15.
The legendary forward opened the scoring for Argentina from an assist by Lautaro Martínez in the 19th minute. The 27-year Inter Milan striker doubled the score after being set up by the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner in the 43rd minute. Former Manchester City forward Julián Alvarez netted the third goal through another assist by Messi in the concluding minutes of the first half.
Argentina's fourth goal of the match came from Thiago Almada from an assist by defender Nahuel Molina in the 69th minute. Messi struck again, scoring two goals in the span of a minute (84' and 86') following assists by Exequiel Palacios and Nico Paz, respectively.
After this standout display against Bolivia, the Argentine captain now has 57 assists in international football and is only one behind former United States forward Landon Donovan.
With his hat-trick against Bolivia, Lionel Messi also matched Cristiano Ronaldo's record for the most international hat-tricks (10). The Barcelona icon also surpassed Iran's Ali Daei's record and is now second on the list of top international goal scorers of all time with 110 goals.
Lionel Messi on his future after Argentina’s 6-0 victory over Bolivia
Following Argentina's massive 6-0 win against Bolivia in World Cup Qualifiers at Estadio Mâs Monumental, Lionel Messi opened up about his plans for the future. The 37-year-old mentioned that he has not put a limit on his time on the pitch and is currently relishing it. He said (via @BarcaUniversal on X):
"I haven’t set any date or deadline regarding my future, I just want to enjoy all of this. It moves me more than ever to be here and feel the love of the people because I know these could be my last matches. This drives me. Enjoying being happy where I am. Despite my age, when I'm here, I feel like a kid because I'm comfortable with this team."
After his terrific performance for Argentina, Lionel Messi set a new record for most goal contributions in football history. He has recorded 846 goals and 377 assists, adding up to 1,223 goal contributions, which is the highest in official matches.
