Lionel Messi scored three goals and provided two assists as his Argentina thrashed Bolivia 6–0 in tonight's World Championship qualifying match.
The superstar, who missed two qualifying matches in October due to an injury, played the entire match in front of ecstatic fans at the Monumental de Nuñez arena in Buenos Aires.
Messi's first goal came in the 19th minute after a mistake by a Bolivian defender, who missed a pass and thus gave the 37-year-old a clear path to the opponents' goal, where he scored 1–0 without hesitation. Then, he assisted both Lautaro Martínez and Julián Álvarez before finishing off the scoring with two more goals.
The win means that Argentina consolidates its lead in the qualifying tournament with 22 points, while second-placed Colombia, which earlier beat Chile 4–0, has three points fewer. Uruguay is in third place with 16 points, the same as Brazil, but with a better goal difference.
