Messi couldn't hold back the tears on a special night in Buenos Aires
We've seen an awful lot of pictures of Lionel Messi crying just lately. On Thursday night, a month after
bidding a tearful farewell at the Camp Nou, he was at it again.
The
Barcelo Paris Saint-Germain forward had quite the night while on international duty in Buenos Aires, scoring all three goals as Argentina defeated Bolivia 3-0 in their World Cup qualifier.
The hat-trick was enough for him to surpass Pele as South America's all-time leading goalscorer in men's international football.
Afterwards, he and his teammates were also able to celebrate their recent Copa America triumph with the Argentina supporters.
La Albiceleste defeated Brazil in Rio de Janeiro in the final a couple of months ago. Due to Covid restrictions, only a few supporters - mainly Brazilian - were there to see it.
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The victory was the first time Messi had won a major title for his country since starring in the Beijing Olympics in 2008. After repeatedly being accused of not reaching the same level for his national side as he he had for his club, the Copa title clearly meant a lot to Messi.
The Bolivia game was the first time Argentina had played on home soil since their win in Brazil. As the team prepared to parade the trophy before 21,000 supporters in El Monumental, it all became a little too much for Messi, who was pictured in tears.
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"It was a unique moment [to win the Copa America] because of where and how we obtained the title," Messi said in a post-match interview.
"There was no better way to do it and been able to celebrate the title now, it's incredible. My mother, my brothers are here in the stands. They have suffered a lot. I'm very happy."
