“Suárez’s deft layoff at the edge of the box lets Messi calmly guide a low right-foot finish across the keeper from a tight central pocket, sealing his hat-trick and reaching 103 Champions League goals.”
Messi opens Barcelona’s Champions League campaign with a ruthless hat-trick against PSV, including a trademark free-kick, dictating the game for 90 minutes as undisputed man of the match.
With Barcelona pegged back at 1–1 in a Champions League quarter-final, Messi latches onto Pedro’s assist to restore the lead against Arsenal, the second act of a four-goal masterclass that drives him toward career goal 130.
Against Bolivia in World Cup qualifying, Messi’s second of the night turns a narrow 1–0 lead into a commanding 2–0 cushion, doubling Argentina’s control while quietly marking his 750th career goal and 25th strike in World Cup qualifiers.
Against familiar qualifiers rivals Bolivia, Messi caps a 10/10 man-of-the-match performance by finishing Palacios’ pass for Argentina’s fifth, completing his hat-trick and pushing his World Cup Qualifiers tally to 33 and overall career total to 845.
Pedro’s late assist in Nicosia caps a dominant night as Messi completes his Champions League hat-trick for Barcelona’s fourth, pushing his tally to 74 goals in the competition and 416 in his career.