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Lionel Messi scores 800th career goal in Argentina victory amid World Cup celebrations.
In Argentina’s first game following their 2022 World Cup victory, Lionel Messi scored his 800th career goal as they defeated Panama 2-0 in a friendly match.
The 35-year-old became only the second player to reach the impressive milestone after his old rival, Cristiano Ronaldo. He now has a staggering 99 international goals to his name with 672 for Barcelona and 29 for Paris Saint-Germain.
To the pleasure of the crowd at the Monumental de Nunez Stadium in Buenos Aires, Messi scored in an emotional World Cup winners’ homecoming, and he and his squad celebrated lavishly before and after the game.
Thiago Almada scored the first goal to start the celebrations, and in the 89th minute, just as it appeared that Messi may not be able to cap off the event with a proper shot, he hit the top-right corner with an incredible free kick.
“I always dreamed of this moment, celebrating with you,” an emotional Messi said after the match as he paraded around the pitch with his family and the World Cup trophy.
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“I want to thank you all for the love and recognition that you have been receiving, not only after the World Cup but also for the Copa America,” Messi told the crowd after the match. “We said that we were going to give it all for this trophy.”
Messi will achieve the remarkable milestone of 100 goals for the national team if he scores another goal in Argentina’s forthcoming friendly match against Curacao on Tuesday. This follows their World Cup victory.
Lionel Messi quite simply is the 🐐
99 international goals.
800 career goals.
This is greatness. pic.twitter.com/J2YBkR88uH
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 24, 2023
In what felt like an appropriate homage to that momentous occasion for the nation, Lionel Scaloni chose the same starting lineup from the World Cup final triumph against France in Qatar.
In front of about 80,000 spectators, Messi raised the World Cup trophy while his teammates held up smaller reproductions of the same trophy. The winning team made a deliberate victory lap as fireworks were turned off over the stadium.
With 172 games under his belt, he has already surpassed Gabriel Batistuta as Argentina’s all-time leading scorer in terms of goals scored, with 56 in 78.