Messi hat trick and two assists marked an unforgettable night as Lionel Messi celebrated 20 years in football. A packed Monumental Stadium witnessed the magic of Argentina’s football god, chanting “Messi, Messi, Messi!” throughout the game.
Exactly 20 years ago, on October 16, 2004, Messi debuted for Barcelona against Espanyol after senior players convinced coach Frank Rijkaard to give him a chance. That moment began one of the greatest stories in football history.
Two decades later, over 80,000 fans at Monumental saw Messi dazzle again. He scored three goals and provided two assists in Argentina’s 5-0 victory over Bolivia in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Argentina, the defending champions, are looking to defend their title, and this might be Messi’s last tournament.
While Argentina’s dominant win was impressive, Messi’s performance overshadowed the result. Despite not playing for River Plate, Messi has made Monumental his home. Argentina has never lost there with Messi, securing 21 wins in 26 matches. Messi made sure this night would be memorable.
Messi didn’t need to force anything; it all came naturally. His contributions flowed effortlessly, participating in five of Argentina’s six goals. He opened the scoring in the 19th minute when a deflection from Bolivia’s Suarez and a pass from Martinez left Messi with no choice but to tap it in.
Soon after, he nearly scored directly from a corner kick. Instead of chasing more goals, Messi focused on creating chances. In the 43rd minute, he set up Lautaro Martinez from a free-kick. Later, he assisted Julian Alvarez during stoppage time, allowing his young teammate to score. That assist was Messi’s 57th for Argentina, just one shy of the world record held by Landon Donovan.
Messi seemed to enjoy himself even more in the second half as the Bolivian defense crumbled. Despite Bolivia’s recent win over Colombia, they stood no chance against the world champions at sea level.
Coach Lionel Scaloni made substitutions in the second half but kept Messi on the pitch. Messi saved the best for last. After Almada made it 4-0 in the 69th minute, Messi finished the game with style. In the 84th minute, he charged into Bolivia’s panicked defense and scored. Just two minutes later, after a slick one-two with youngster Nico Paz, Messi completed his hat trick.
This was Messi’s 10th hat trick for Argentina, making him the player with the most international hat tricks in history. With 112 goals for his country, he moved past Iran’s Ali Daei into second place on the all-time international scoring list, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo, who has 133 goals. Messi has now scored 101 goals while wearing the number 10 jersey for Argentina, with 49 assists in 154 matches.
As the final minutes ticked away, the Monumental crowd chanted Messi’s name. Even after 20 years at the highest level, Lionel Messi continues to mesmerize fans. His legend endures and shows no sign of fading.
