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Buenos Aires: Lionel Messi was at his sublime best on Thursday night as he guided Arhentina to a much-needed 1-0 win over Equador in a South America World Cup qualifier. It was Messi’s unbelievable free-kick in the 78th minute that made all the difference. Messi took a free-kick from just outside the box, the angle was tough – but the Argentine captain found his way around it with a curler. He curled it in such a manner that the Equador goalkeeper had no chance at all. The goal scored by Messi is now winning the internet as fans are commenting on it. Here is the goal.
LIONEL MESSI FREE KICK GOAL! 🇦🇷pic.twitter.com/yAsas0pRTQ
— Roy Nemer (@RoyNemer) September 8, 2023
With the stunning strike, Messi drew level with former Barcelona teammate Luis Suarez as the all-time leading goal-scorer in South American World Cup qualifiers. Argentina dominated the game against Equador who had to defend for most part of the match and could make limited opportunities. In the 16th minute of the match, Messi found himself in a promising position to score, but failed as the attempt went wide. One has to admit that Equador defended well or else the final score could have been much worse for them.
With 12 minutes remaining, it seemed like a matter of time before the hosts went ahead, and that’s exactly what happened.
Messi was instrumental in helping Argentina win the FIFA World Cup in Qatar but has remained coy whenever the topic of playing another World Cup (in 2026) has been brought up.
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