Lionel Messi returned in a big way to the Argentina national team on Tuesday with a hat trick and two assists in a World Cup qualifier.
The 37-year-old icon also acknowledged that the games he’s playing now in the twilight of his career “could be the last games.” He declined in a postgame interview to commit to playing for Argentina in the 2026 World Cup.
Messi returned to the lineup for Tuesday’s game in Buenos Aires in front of roughly 85,000 raucous fans against Bolivia after missing Argentina’s previous two World Cup qualifiers with an ankle injury. He was in prime form in a 6-0 win to keep Argentina atop the South American standings.
Messi got the scoring started with a breakaway goal in the 19th minute, much to the delight of the Monumental de Nuñez Stadium crowd.
Messi then assisted on a Lautaro MartÃnez goal in the 43rd minute that doubled Argentina’s lead to 2-0. This goal was also on a breakaway.
Julián Alvarez scored Argentina’s third goal of the night just before halftime. This one was also courtesy of an assist from Messi.
Messi didn’t figure into Argentina’s fourth goal, a Thiago Almada strike from just outside the goal box. But he capped the scoring outburst with two more goals to complete the hat trick.
In the 84th minute, Messi took a pass from Exequiel Palacios and threaded through Bolivian defenders for a right-footed strike just inside the penalty box.
Then, in the 86th minute, he completed the hat trick with another goal from just inside the box, this time with his left foot.
The 90-plus minute party in the stands continued with cheers and gestures of adoration from an Argentina crowd surely aware that there won’t be many more of these moments.
Messi expressed his own appreciation for the moment after the game.
“This moves me,” Messi said postgame, via translation. “Enjoy being happy where I am. Despite my age, when I’m here I look like a kid because I feel comfortable with this team. As long as I feel good and I can continue performing as I intend, we will continue to enjoy.”
Argentina is set to defend its 2022 World Cup title when the tournament moves to North America for games in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. When asked if he plans to be there for those games, Messi chose instead to focus on the moment at hand.
“I didn’t set a date or deadline,’ he said. “I simply want to enjoy all this. I am more excited than ever to be here and feel the love of the people, because I know that they could be the last games.”