Lionel Messi scores his 800th career goal in his first game with Argentina since World Cup
Lionel Messi scored his 800th career goal in his first game for Argentina since winning the World Cup, netting a spectacular free kick in the 89th minute of a 2-0 win.
Lionel Messi scored his 800th career goal for club and country with a stunning free kick in Argentina’s first game since becoming world champions.
Messi and company received a sensational welcome from their fans in Buenos Aires on Thursday when they played their first game since their resounding victory in Qatar.
As in last year’s tournament, the Paris Saint-Germain star delivered with his country’s 2-0 win over Panama.
Messi fired an incredible free-kick in the 89th minute to double his country’s lead after Thiago Almada’s opener.
The superstar lobbed the ball over the Panama wall and into the top right corner, leaving the goalie out of chance from around 25 yards.
Argentina’s Lionel Messi scored his 800th goal for club and country with an impressive free-kick.
Messi celebrates after making more history on Thursday night when Argentina beat Panama
Lionel Scaloni chose the same starting lineup from the World Cup final win over France as they looked dominant from the start but were unable to break through the Panamanian defensive wall until late in the second half.
Atlanta United’s Almada opened the scoring in the 79th minute with his first international goal after harnessing a rebound from Messi’s free kick that hit the left post.
Captain Messi finally scored the 800th goal of his career and doubled the lead in the 89th minute with a brilliant free-kick that went into the right corner to thrill the more than 80,000 fans who chanted his name at the Estadio Monumental.
Argentina will continue their return home as World Cup champions with a friendly against Curaçao on Tuesday, while Panama will face Costa Rica in the CONCACAF Nations League.