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In an exhilarating friendly match held in Buenos Aires, Argentina triumphed over Panama with a score of 2-0, as Lionel Messi commemorated his 800th career goal. The game took place at the illustrious Monumental Stadium, where fans witnessed the celebration of Argentina's world championship title before the match commenced.
Messi and his fellow teammates reveled in their Qatari gold alongside the zealous spectators
.Almada and Messi Secure Argentina's Win
The celebrations were amplified by goals from Thiago Almada in the 78th minute and Lionel Messi in the 89th minute.
In a captivating turn of events, Messi achieved his 800th career goal with a spectacular free kick in the penultimate minute. This marked his 99th goal in his 173rd appearance for the national team. The prodigious footballer had previously scored 672 goals for Barcelona and 29 goals for PSG.
Last night's victory saw Messi outwit opposing goalkeepers for the 800th time in his 1039th professional career appearance. Following two close attempts that ricocheted off the post, Messi expertly curled his third free kick past Panama's goalkeeper, Jose Carlos Guerra, in the 89th minute.
This milestone achievement sent the throng of fans at the sold-out Monumental Stadium into a euphoric frenzy.
In a heartfelt address to the crowd after the match, Messi expressed his gratitude, stating, "I want to thank you all for the love and recognition that you have been receiving, not only after the World Cup but also for the Copa America.Messi's 800th career goal comes as a free kick in his first game with Argentina as World Cup champions.
Perfect.
(via @TV_Publica)pic.twitter.com/sWSREGPOBZ — B/R Football (@brfootball) March 24, 2023
We said that we were going to give it all for this trophy."
The victory over Panama marked Argentina's first match since their resounding win against France in Qatar last December. The team was fervently supported by the home crowd as Thiago Almada initiated the scoring in the second half, followed by Messi's historic goal just before full-time.The entire Qatari squad was present at the match, posing for photographs with the World Cup trophy before kickoff. Messi, manager Lionel Scaloni, and other team members brought their families to the stadium to revel in this momentous occasion.
An emotional Scaloni expressed his appreciation after the match, asserting, "Eternal gratitude to these players. Football belongs to them, and without them, we wouldn't have won the World Cup. Everyone who wears this shirt gives their all, and sometimes the results don't come. But this time we got it, and it's incredible."
