Match ends, Argentina 7, Curaçao 0.
ArgentinaArgentina7CuracaoCuracao0
Argentina captain Lionel Messi passed 100 international goals as he scored his seventh international hat-trick in a friendly win at home to Curacao.
The 35-year-old forward reached the landmark when he opened the scoring on 20 minutes in Santiago del Estero.
He added two more before the break to complete a quickfire treble.
Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez also scored, before Argentina paraded the World Cup trophy in front of more than 42,000 supporters.
It was Argentina's second match on home soil since beating France in Qatar on penalties in December to win the World Cup.
Messi scored his 800th career goal - and 99th for Argentina - in a 2-0 win over Panama in Buenos Aires last week as part of the team's World Cup homecoming tour.
The Paris St-Germain striker reached three figures for his country when he took a pass from Villarreal's on-loan Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Giovani lo Celso and fired a low shot into the bottom corner.
Three minutes later Nicolas Gonzalez outjumped goalkeeper Eloy Room to head home from four yards before the Fiorentina winger set up Messi for his second of the night.
Fernandez made it 4-0 with a shot from distance before Lo Celso released Messi to notch his third in just the 37th minute.
Angel di Maria and Gonzalo Montiel rounded off the scoring in the second half but the night belonged to Messi, who extended his record as Argentina's all-time record scorer - Gabriel Batistuta is a distant second on 56.
He remains third on the men's all-time international scoring list behind Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo (122) and Iran's Ali Daei (109).
Line-ups
Argentina
Formation 4-3-3
- 23E MartínezSubstituted forArmaniat 80'minutes
- 4Montiel
- 6Pezzella
- 19OtamendiSubstituted forFoythat 50'minutes
- 8Acuña
- 17Lo CelsoSubstituted forDi Maríaat 67'minutes
- 24FernándezSubstituted forPalaciosat 50'minutes
- 20Mac AllisterSubstituted forDe Paulat 50'minutesBooked at 81mins
- 10Messi
- 22La MartínezSubstituted forDybalaat 67'minutes
- 16González
Substitutes
- 1Armani
- 2Foyth
- 3Tagliafico
- 5Paredes
- 7De Paul
- 9Álvarez
- 11Di María
- 12Rulli
- 13Romero
- 14Palacios
- 15Correa
- 18Rodríguez
- 21Dybala
- 25Li Martínez
- 26Simeone
Curacao
Formation 4-3-1-2
- 1Room
- 3Gaari
- 2Martina
- 4van EijmaSubstituted forTroupéeat 73'minutes
- 5Floranus
- 17KuwasSubstituted forSeverinaat 73'minutes
- 6AnitaBooked at 82minsSubstituted forRoemeratoeat 84'minutes
- 10BacunaSubstituted forFelidaat 84'minutes
- 14GorréSubstituted forAntonisseat 58'minutes
- 9JangaSubstituted forZivkovicat 58'minutes
- 7Bacuna
Substitutes
- 8Roemeratoe
- 11Zivkovic
- 12Carmelia
- 13Ogenia
- 15Markelo
- 16Severina
- 18Hooi
- 19Troupée
- 20Felida
- 21Antonisse
- 22Bodak
- 23Doornbusch
- Referee:
- Gustavo Tejera
- Attendance:
- 43,000
Match Stats
Home TeamArgentinaAway TeamCuracao
- Possession
- Home60%
- Away40%
- Shots
- Home27
- Away6
- Shots on Target
- Home17
- Away0
- Corners
- Home13
- Away1
- Fouls
- Home13
- Away15
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Argentina 7, Curaçao 0.
Post update
Hand ball by Kevin Felida (Curaçao).
Post update
Foul by Exequiel Palacios (Argentina).
Post update
Kevin Felida (Curaçao) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Ángel Di María (Argentina) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Post update
Foul by Sherel Floranus (Curaçao).
Post update
Attempt missed. Lionel Messi (Argentina) left footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left.
Post update
Offside, Argentina. Rodrigo De Paul tries a through ball, but Ángel Di María is caught offside.
Post update
Corner, Argentina. Conceded by Kevin Felida.
Goal!
Goal! Argentina 7, Curaçao 0. Gonzalo Montiel (Argentina) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the high centre of the goal. Assisted by Paulo Dybala.
Post update
Offside, Argentina. Gonzalo Montiel tries a through ball, but Paulo Dybala is caught offside.
Post update
Corner, Argentina. Conceded by Eloy Room.
Post update
Attempt saved. Lionel Messi (Argentina) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Rodrigo De Paul.
Substitution
Substitution, Curaçao. Kevin Felida replaces Leandro Bacuna.
Substitution
Substitution, Curaçao. Godfried Roemeratoe replaces Vurnon Anita.
Post update
Attempt missed. Lionel Messi (Argentina) left footed shot from outside the box is too high from a direct free kick.
Booking
Vurnon Anita (Curaçao) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Nicolás González (Argentina) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by Vurnon Anita (Curaçao).
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