It’s been a while since we saw a Lionel Messi hat-trick, and boy did he show he still has it against Bolivia in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying as Argentina steamrolled to a 6-0 win. Messi scored two of his three goals in the span of two minutes.
While some may roll their eyes because it was Bolivia, the context of the game was anything but easy. Bolivia entered the game on three wins in a row against Venezuela, Chile, and Colombia. Óscar Villegas’s team sits in seventh place in qualification and today would play the intercontinental playoff for a spot in 2026.
The Bolivian team is no pushover, getting results at home and a key road win against Chile. For Lionel Messi, it was his 112th goal for the three-time World Cup winners in 189 caps.
Noah Allen Awed by Lionel Messi Hat-Trick
One player who was full of praise for Messi was his young Inter Miami teammate, Noah Allen, who told reporter Jose Armando, “Incredible. It’s clear that (Messi) can still do it. I know a lot of people think it was against Bolivia, but that is a very difficult team.”
Allen has played 16 MLS league games this season for Inter Miami, playing 90 minutes in the last two games against the Columbus Crew and Toronto FC, where he shared the field with Lionel Messi.
On the weekend, Inter Miami goes for the all-time record of points in the MLS regular season when they take on the New England Revolution, the current holders of said record.