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18th October 2023
09:30am BST
Lionel Messi looked back to his very best on Tuesday night as Argentina beat Peru 2-0 in their World Cup qualifier.
The Inter Miami captain hasn't played much football in the last month due to injury and appeared as a substitute in Argentina's 1-0 win against Paraguay last week however he seemed much more like his usual self.
Messi played the full 90 in the win for the reigning World Cup champions, scoring both goals in the first half. His first, a sublime finish after Nico Gonzalez was able to pick out the 36-year-old with his cut back while his second was a fine strike via Enzo Fernandez's clever assist.
LIONEL MESSI GOAL FOR ARGENTINA!pic.twitter.com/kLNFKs94LO
— Roy Nemer (@RoyNemer) October 18, 2023
LIONEL MESSI'S SECOND GOAL FOR ARGENTINA!🇦🇷pic.twitter.com/PnwbaZDroX
— Roy Nemer (@RoyNemer) October 18, 2023
Not only was he able to score two goals, the forward dazzled fans with an amazing piece of skill that left two Peruvian players left for dead.
With his back to goal, the two defenders surrounded Messi, seemingly giving him no way out but then again, this is Messi.
Rather than lose the ball, the seven-time Ballon d'Or winning twisted and turned, sending one to the ground before skipping past the other one with far too much ease.
This is Lionel Messi, ladies and gentlemen.pic.twitter.com/OWhEYvTBdp
— All About Argentina 🛎🇦🇷 (@AlbicelesteTalk) October 18, 2023
Scaloni evidently loved what he saw and celebrated wildly on the touchline - almost as if Argentina had won a second World Cup.
After the game, the Argentina boss admitted that his talisman was back to his best. He said: "I saw Messi as if he had not been injured or stopped."
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