Lionel Messi is back in the Argentine colours ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2022 later this year. The star footballer led his country in the game against Honduras on the 23rd of September (Friday). Argentina defeated Honduras 3-0 on Friday in Miami thanks in large part to Messi’s skillfully executed double.
With this, the team extended their remarkable unbeaten streak before the Qatar World Cup. The Argentina captain scored a goal in each half, with his first doubling Lautaro Martinez’s early goal for Lionel Scaloni’s team.
Messi was starting to work some magic despite being closely man marked by the Honduran defence as the South Americans dominated possession. He first assisted Martinez score Argentina’s first goal in the 16th minute before doubling the lead with a penalty kick. Rubiel Vazquez, the referee, called a penalty for a tug on Giovani Lo Celso’s shirt just before halftime. Messi calmly rolled in the penalty to give Scaloni’s team a two-goal advantage.
The former Barcelona star, who played the full 90 minutes, stayed in the thick of the action and came close to scoring his second on minute 56, but his shot went over the crossbar instead of capping off an excellent, free-flowing move. On 69 minutes, Messi delivered a spectacular lofted finish over Fernandez to excite the crowd and seal the victory.
Here is the video of Lionel Messi’s second goal
ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS GOAL BY LIONEL MESSI!pic.twitter.com/RU89tY4h7t
— Roy Nemer (@RoyNemer) September 24, 2022
“The game was what we expected. I am satisfied with that. As far as players who didn’t play, as a coach, I have to manage minutes and rest some players. Most important thing is that whoever plays proves they can belong and can play,” Argentina coach Scaloni said after the match.
“The Argentine national team whenever we play, it’s a huge responsibility, but we need to enjoy it, the fans need to enjoy it. At the end of the day, it’s a game. The important thing is to play the way we want to play and for people to enjoy it. That is more important than the result,” he added.
