Watch Lionel Messi Score Ninth International Hat-Trick Of His Career As Argentina Crush Curacao
Lionel Messi scored the ninth hat-trick of his international career as Argentina thrashed Curacao 7-0 on Tuesday.
Messi became only the third man to score 100 international goals when he fired home the game's opening goal in the 20th minute.
He then took his tally to 102 goals before half-time.
Nicolas Gonzalez and Enzo Fernandez also scored in the first half at the Estadio Unico Madre de Ciudades in Santiago del Estero.
Lionel Messi has now scored nine hat-tricks for Argentina
IMAGO/Xinhua/Cao Can
Argentina added two more goals in the second half.
Angel Di Maria won and converted a penalty kick to make it 6-0 in the 78th minute before Gonzalo Montiel completed the scoring following an assist from Paulo Dybala.
The margin of victory could have been even greater were it not for a fine display by Curacao keeper Eloy Room, who made nine saves.
Room's performance was recognized by Messi at full-time when the Argentina captain gave him his jersey.
Messi is only the third man to score nine international hat-tricks, after Sweden's Sven Rydell (also nine) and record-holder Cristiano Ronaldo (10).
Most Hat-Tricks In Men's International Soccer
- 1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) 10
- =2. Lionel Messi (Argentina) 9
- =2. Sven Rydell (Sweden) 9
- =4. Poul Nielsen (Denmark) 8
- =4. Ali Daei (Iran) 8
- 6. Pele (Brazil) 7
