One way to phrase it is that Lionel Messi has returned.
Argentina defeated Peru 2-0 on Tuesday night at Estadio Nacional de Lima in Lima, Peru, in their 2026 World Cup qualifying match. Messi scored two goals and played the full ninety-three minutes.
Messi looked fit and focused, playing the entire game and scoring his first goal since suffering a right leg injury against Argentina on September 7 that limited him for the majority of his previous six weeks with MLS team Inter Miami.
At one point, Messi was dribbling back and forth on the goal line, making a Peruvian defender fall twice before reaching midfield. That’s how aggressive and nimble he was.
With his two goals in the first half, he was a smart spotter, trailing his teammates on both plays until hitting open shots into the goal.
“The most important thing is that Messi is healthy. He manages the minutes alone,” Argentine coach Lionel Scaloni said after the match, which helped Argentina stay atop the CONMEBOL Standings with 12 points.
For his first goal, Messi followed down the center of the box and received a pass from Nicolás González on a silver platter. In the thirty-second minute, his left boot found the upper right corner of the net. He then jumped over a downed Peruvian defender to start the celebration with his teammates.
A brace came ten minutes later, as Messi was set up for a left boot into the lower left corner of the net by Enzo Fernández’s pass in the 42nd minute.
As the second half got underway, Messi persisted in his relentless pursuit of a hat trick. However, the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner and 2022 World Cup champion did not have the same spectacular moments from at least three opportunities, including a free kick in the 88th minute.
“We have great players and a very marked style of play, which we like. We want to continue down this path,” Messi said of the Argentine national team after the win.”After winning the World Cup, we are confident, very loose, more united and firm. Hopefully we can continue growing,” Messi added.
T.
