Lionel Messi's hat-trick propels Argentina to a dominant 6-0 victory against Bolivia in FIFA World Cup qualifiers

In the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, Lionel Messi put on a dazzling performance, scoring a hat-trick and assisting in two additional goals as Argentina dominated Bolivia with a 6-0 win on Tuesday. This match marked only Messi's second international appearance since his recovery from an injury sustained at the Copa America in July. Messi wasted no time making an impact, capitalizing on a defensive error by Marcelo Suarez to break the deadlock and score the opening goal in the 19th minute.

Bolivia goalkeeper Guillermo Viscarra made a couple of fine saves to prevent the hosts from extending their lead but he was beaten in the 43rd minute when Lautaro Martinez scored from Messi's quick cross.

Also read: Spain enter Nations League quarterfinals, Ronaldo's Portugal held by Scotland

Argentina made it 3-0 just before the break, Messi setting up Julian Alvarez to score. Argentina controlled the second half and substitute Thiago Almada added a fourth from Nahuel Molina's pass in the 70th minute before Messi scored twice late on to cap a terrific performance.

Copa America winners Argentina top the standings on 22 points, three clear of Colombia. The 2026 World Cup will be hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to web's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for web audience.