Argentina defeated Bolivia 6-0 in World Cup qualifying, with Lionel Messi scoring his tenth hat-trick for his country.
The 37-year-old forward for Inter Miami tied Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal for the most hat-tricks in men’s international football. He also assisted on two goals at Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires.
Despite losing to Colombia in September and drawing with Venezuela last week, Argentina leads the South American qualifying group for the 2026 World Cup by three points.
Argentina’s Messi scored 112 goals in 189 games, second only to Ronaldo in men’s internationals. He set up Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez, and Thiago Almada made it 4-0.
Raphinha scored twice as Brazil made it back-to-back victories with a 4-0 win over Peru in Brasilia. Brazil, a record five-time World Cup winner, had lost four of their past five qualifiers before defeating Chile. Dorival Junior’s side are fourth in the table, six points behind Argentina.
The top six teams qualify automatically for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Colombia beat Chile 4-0, with Jhon Duran scoring his seventh goal of the season.
