Lionel Messi has stunned the football world once more with an excellent ‘golazo’ screamer against Honduras for Argentina.
Lionel Scaloni’s Copa America winners beat their foes 3-0 in a friendly in Miami, with Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez opening his side’s account on 16 minutes. On the stroke of halftime, however, Messi got in on the act with a 47th-minute penalty.
Saving his best until last, Messi wowed the 65,000 fans in attendance at the Hard Rock Stadium, plus 4 million social media users online, with a 69th minute lob of Luis Lopez from distance that left the Honduras ‘keeper with no chance.
With Argentina unbeaten in 34 matches, Messi said post-game that he and his teammates “want to continue like this until the World Cup.”
“We are the same as them,” Messi added of La Albiceleste’s fans. “With the same anxiety, desire, but with calmness because although we have a great team, a great group, the World Cup is special and we have to go step by step.
“There are many games and little rest time but you have to face it as always. If you are going to play thinking about the World Cup, taking care of yourself or not messing up, it can be worse.”
Starting the 2022/2023 season in top form for Paris Germain, Messi said he feels “good” and “different from last year,” which is something that he claims he knew would happen after leaving boyhood club FC Barcelona in tears in summer 2021.
“Last year, as I said, I had a bad time. I arrived {this year} with a different head, more used to the club, to the locker room, to the game, the teammates. I feel very good,” he added.
Argentina are next in action at the Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey where they take on Jamaica on Tuesday.
The friendly is their last fixture until November 16, when they meet the United Arab Emirates less than a week before heading to Qatar to face Saudi Arabia, Poland and Mexico in Group C at what is certain to be Messi’s last World Cup.