Lionel Messi brought up his 800th career goal in style to lead Argentina to victory over Panama during an international friendly match in Buenos Aires on Thursday. It was a boisterous return to international action for the reigning FIFA World Cup champions, who gave Lionel Scaloni and his team a massive reception before the match.
Messi and his teammates beat France on penalties in the final of the FIFA World Cup in December 2022, ending a long trophy drought for the country. This was their first match since that eventful night in Qatar and what made the moment even more special was the clinical placement of Messi that gave his team a 2-0 lead in the 89th minute to seal the match with a masterful performance.
It was his fourth attempt from a dead ball situation, with the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward hitting the crossbar with a free kick in the first half. His second free kick was saved by Panama goalkeeper Jose Guerra but finally, the fourth attempt struck the woodwork again but fell favourably to Thiago Almada, who tapped in the rebound.
His fourth free-kick curled under the bar and into the top-right corner, sending the stadium into cheers. Before the game, the World Cup-winning squad were given a raptous reception by their home crowd at the El Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires. The fans kept singing loudly as the players lined up ahead of the match. Scaloni and Messi found it hard to control their emotions, much like many of the Argentina players, as the fans showered them with praise.
Messi's goal for PSG on February 26 was the 700th club goal of Messi's career and his 99th on the international stage. Only Cristiano Ronaldo (120) and Iran legend Ali Daei (109) have scored more goals in international men's football than Messi.
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