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Messi got the opener after 14 minutes in Buenos Aires, dancing
around the Bolivian defence before curling the ball into the net
from just outside the box.
He made it 2-0 in the 64th minute after working a one-two with
Lautaro Martinez and displaying superb footwork in a packed
penalty box, then completed the hat-trick with two minutes left,
crashing home a rebound from close range.
His 77th, 78th and 79th goals marked his seventh hat-trick for
the national side and took him two above Pele in the South
American scoring charts.
“I was really anxious, and I really wanted to enjoy it," Messi
said. "I’ve waited a long time for this, I went for it, and I
dreamt about it. It’s a unique moment for the way it came about,
after waiting so long.”
On a night when Argentine fans were allowed to watch their
national team for the first time since the start of the COVID-19
pandemic, Messi broke down in tears as he lifted the Copa
America trophy at the Monumental stadium.
Argentina won the Copa America in July, their first major title
in 28 years, and Messi danced with his team mates and showed off
the trophy to the 21,000 supporters present.
“There was no better way to celebrate than by being here,” he
said. “My mum is here, my siblings are in the stands. They have
suffered so much and they are here celebrating. I am very
happy.”
Argentina are in second place behind Brazil in the 10-team
qualifying group for Qatar in 2022. The top four teams qualify
automatically and the fifth-placed side goes into an
inter-regional playoff.
Earlier on Thursday, Miguel Borja scored two goals in two
minutes to put Colombia on their way to a 3-1 victory over Chile
in Barranquilla.
He got the first from the penalty spot after 19 minutes and then
ran through on goal a minute later to slip the ball under the
keeper and make it 2-0.
Jean Meneses pulled one back for Chile in the 56th minute but
Luis Dias restored Colombia’s two-goal lead with 16 minutes
left.
Colombia are fifth in the qualifying table, tied on points with
fourth-placed Ecuador, while Chile are eighth.
(Writing by Andrew Downie; additional reporting by Ramiro
Scandolo; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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