Leo Messi is another with Argentina since he won the Copa América in July 2021. It was his first trophy with the senior team and on June 1, 2022 he added his second, lifting the Finalissima by defeating Italy at Wembley (3-0) . He did not score but gave two assists against the European Championship champion. He didn’t need it. The Argentine captain saved them all for four days later, for the friendly against Estonia when he made his first re-poker with the Albiceleste, the second of his career.
Goalkeeper Matvei Igonen, from Polish Podbeskidzie, was his victim. The former Barcelona’s first came from a penalty in the 8th minute. And he didn’t score again until the last minute of the first half. Papu Gómez saw his internment and he, with his left foot, shot hard from close range. Just opened the second half, 3-0 with a cross from Molina and he finished off with the right. In the fourth he took advantage of a misunderstanding by the defense to stand up to the goalkeeper and deceive him. The last one was when he picked up a rebound from inside the area and shot with his good leg.
There were 14 minutes left but the scoreboard did not move. Neither the global nor the particular of the star, who about to turn 35 has between eyebrows the World Cup in Qatar this year with Scaloni’s team.
Seven times Leo Messi had scored a hat-trick with his national team. The first time he went to Switzerland, in February 2012. Then came Brazil, Guatemala, Panama, Ecuador, Haiti and Bolivia. But he had never scored four. Not much less five. Until this Sunday in El Sadar, when the captain of the albiceleste has been cruel to Estonia signing the five goals of the little hand of Argentina to the Baltic republic.
The friendly match in Pamplona enters directly into the art gallery of ten along with the 7-1 that Barcelona endorsed Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League 11-12. That night Messi also beat Leno, the German goalkeeper, five times. Throughout the long career of the Argentine as a professional (he debuted in 2004) there is no other precedent.
It is curious that Messi has scored five goals in a game when at PSG this season he has celebrated 6 in 26 games in Ligue 1. In total, there are already 86 goals for his country.
For his part, Cristiano Ronaldo also cured himself with his national team of the troubles of his return to Manchester United, in which he has not won any title. The Portuguese, who did not start against Spain on matchday one, scored a brace against Switzerland in Lisbon in the Nations League. Ronaldo already has 117 international goals.
