Lionel Messi’s brilliance was on full display in Argentina on Tuesday night as the Inter Miami star scored a hat-trick and recorded two assists in a 6-0 rout of Bolivia in a World Cup qualifying match.

The game was Messi’s first match in Argentina in 334 days, and the World Cup champion left fans at Estadio Mas Monumental in Buenos Aires with a night to remember.

The excited fans saw Messi’s 10th hat trick with Argentina, and the first game with multiple goals and assists in his national team career.

It was a performance that leaves no doubt about the form Messi is in before his MLS Cup playoff run with Inter Miami later this month. It also leaves the former Barcelona star’s legion of fans wondering how much longer they will enjoy his greatness.

Messi scored a goal in the 19th minute and dished his two assists before halftime. His final two goals in the game against Bolivia came within two minutes of each other in the 84th and 86th minutes.

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It’s his first hat trick since he scored three goals for Argentina in a 7-0 win over Curaçao on March 28, 2023.

Messi said after the game: “It’s great to come here, to feel the affection of the people. I’m excited when they shout my name.

“We all enjoy the connection with the people and we love playing in Argentina. We’re happy with the win.”

It was an emphatic performance by Messi, the Inter Miami star who has played in seven matches in the last month in his return from a right ankle injury in the July 14 Copa America final that sidelined him for over two months.

Messi has 112 goals with Argentina, second place on the all-time list, ahead of Iran’s Ali Daei (108). Messi is under contract with Inter Miami through the end of 2025, and hope will continue to linger about his chance to play in World Cup 2026.

The Star