“In a tense qualifier with Argentina’s campaign under scrutiny, Messi breaks the deadlock against Colombia early on, igniting a dominant 3–0 win and adding World Cup Qualifier goal number 17 to his career tally 526.”
With Argentina under pressure after a loss in a turbulent World Cup qualifying campaign, Messi calms the nerves with a stunning free-kick opener and then engineers the win with two precise assists, single-handedly lifting his team in a must-respond home fixture against Colombia.
Against Liverpool in a Champions League semi-final, Messi’s late third for Barcelona turns a tight 2–0 into a daunting 3–0 cushion and also marks his 600th goal for the club, a mythic milestone reached on one of Europe’s biggest stages.
In a Copa América quarter-final Argentina already lead 2–0 when Messi caps a dominant captain’s display with a stoppage-time third against Ecuador, sealing a 1+2 masterclass and pushing his international tally to career goal 748 and Copa América goal 13.
Against Panama at the Copa América Centenario, Messi completes a 29‑minute hat-trick by stretching Argentina’s lead to 3–0, a ruthless cameo that also pushes him past 500 career goals and to his fifth strike in the tournament’s history.
Against hosts United States in the Copa América Centenario semi-final, Messi’s strike doubles Argentina’s lead and effectively kills the contest, while also marking his 50th goal of a relentless season and underlining his dominance in a man-of-the-match masterclass.