Barcelona forward, Lionel Messi, has become Argentina’s most capped player on Monday after helping Lionel Scaloni’s side beat Bolivia 4-1 to set up a Copa America quarter-final clash against Ecuador.
Having equalled ex-Barcelona star, Javier Mascherano’s Argentinian cap’s record of 147 last week, Messi surpassed the ex-Liverpool midfielder on Monday to mark his 148th appearance.
Messi set up Alejandro Darío Gómez to score Argentina’s opener six minutes into the game before scoring twice with a penalty spot in the 33rd minute and a chip to make it 3-0 three minutes before the break after a through ball from his new Barcelona teammate, Sergio Aguero.
While Messi scored his 7th international goal to extended his lead as the country’s highest goal scorer to 21 goals ahead of Gabriel Batistuta who has 54, Bolivia pulled a goal back in the 60th minute.
Although the Bolivians had already been eliminated after three defeats in their opening three games, Lautaro Martínez scored a little after the hour-mark to make it 4-1 for the Argentines.
Scaloni’s side eased into the last eight and would face the Ecuadorians who finished fourth from Group B in the early hours of Sunday, July 4th, 2021.
Meanwhile, Manchester United’s Edinson Cavani scored a penalty as Uruguay beat Paraguay 1-0 in Rio de Janeiro to clinched second place in the other Group A game on Monday.The Uruguayans would now face Colombia in the quarter-final of the Copa America on Saturday night while Paraguay who finished third will face Peru on Friday.
Alexis Sanchez’s Chile who finished fourth in Group A would face hosts Brazil on Friday.
