Messi scores five as Argentina extend unbeaten run (VIDEO)
Paris Saint Germain attacker Lionel Messi scored all five of Argentina's goals as the Copa America champions thrashed Estonia 5-0 in Pamplona, northern Spain.
Following on from his heroics in La Finalissima last week, when Argentina beat Euro 2020 winners Italy 3-0 at Wembley thanks to two outstanding Messi assists, the former FC Barcelona legend was in fine form as he netted twice in the first half and then followed his brace up with a hat trick after the break.
While also guaranteeing that Argentina extended their unbeaten run to 33 matches, with many fancying them as dark horses at the Qatar 2022 World Cup in November, Messi also improved his international haul to 86 goals in 162 games and surpassed the 84 goals scored by Hungary and Real Madrid great Ferenc Puskas.
Messi is now fourth when it comes to all-time top international scorers and sits just three goals behind retired ex-Malaysia forward Mokhtar Dahari.
Yet it will take quite a few more strikes to catch up to second place Iranian Ali Daei (109) and generational rival Cristiano Ronaldo who increased his tally to 117 with two goals in a 4-0 rout of Switzerland for Portugal.
Separately, however, Messi has become the first player in history to reach 1100 goals and assists which are made up of 769 goals and 331 assists across 974 appearances for club and country.
MESSI'S INCREDIBLE 5 GOAL MASTERCLASS. 🐐 pic.twitter.com/e280r2mxJJ
— mx (SUSPENDED) (@MessiMX30iiii) June 5, 2022
Sunday evening was the second time Messi had scored five goals in his career after having raised the 'manita', as it is called in the Spanish-speaking world when all five fingers are shown in celebration, for Barca once in a 7-1 Champions League demolition of Bayer Leverkusen a decade ago in March 2012.
Messi opened his account with a penalty early in the eighth minute against Estonia and doubled La Albiceleste's lead before the interval.
When Lionel Scaloni's men came back out, Messi scored two minutes into the second half and then added two more strikes on 71 and 76 minutes.
Speaking after the friendly, Scaloni was lost for words and compared Messi, 35 in just over a fortnight, to Rafael Nadal who won his 14th French Open crown on the same day after turning 36 on Friday.
"What more are you going to say?" Scaloni struggled.
"There aren't any words left to describe him, what he creates. He is unique, and it's a pleasure to have him in this group, to coach him, how he behaves and how he dedicates himself to this shirt."
The coach said that his team "can only thank him" and that Messi is not just Argentina's heritage but also the world's.
"We will miss him when he's no longer playing," Scaloni predicted. "I hope he keeps playing and everyone enjoys and protects him, because it's a pleasure to watch him."
Gaining confidence and traction at just the right time, Argentina will play in Group C at the World Cup later this year where their scheduled opponents are Mexico, Poland and Saudi Arabia for whom Messi has just become a tourism ambassador.
Before the FIFA showpiece, Messi is likely to continue his club career at Paris Saint Germain where he still has one season left to run on a two-year deal signed last summer when leaving Barca as a free agent.
