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'Scored against newly-created country' - Fans troll Lionel Messi after scoring his 100th goal for Argentina against Curacao

Lionel Messi scored his 100th goal for Argentina against Curacao on Tuesday and remains his national team's top scorer.

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Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi: (Image Source: Twitter)

Lionel Messi Lionel Messi: (Image Source: Twitter)

Lionel Messi has joined Cristiano Ronaldo on the elite list after scoring a hat-trick in Argentina's friendly match against Curacao, a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It was a memorable night for Messi, who became only the third player to score more than 100 career goals in men's international football. A dominant show from the World Cup winners on Tuesday saw them thrash the Caribbean side 7-0 in their second match since lifting the trophy in Qatar.

Messi reached his 100-goal milestone in the 20th minute with a right-foot shot from the edge of the box. The 35-year-old netted one more in the 33rd minute with a shot that crossed to the goalkeeper's right, and four minutes later, he scored another goal to take his tally to 102. The Seven-time Ballon d'Or winner is now only behind Portugal superstar Ronaldo (122) and former Iran captain Ali Daei (109).

After Messi scored his seventh hat-trick for the national team, Argentina forward Nicolas Gonzalez said:

"You cannot describe Messi in words. He's the best in the world and he shows it match after match, day after day. Every time Every time he touches the ball, he makes you smile."

Back-to-back wins for the world champions

Talking about the match, after Messi opening the scoreboard, midfielder Nico Gonzalez added another three minutes later with a header from close range. Following Messi's second goal of the night, he assisted Enzo Fernandez in the 35th minute only to make it 4-0.

Curacao, ranked 86th by world governing body FIFA, was finished in the first half itself, but their opponents did not stop having fun as they added two more in the second half. Angel Di Maria and Gonzalo Montiel scored in the 78th and 87th minutes, respectively, to give their team a commanding victory.

This was Argentina's second match since winning the 2020 World Cup by beating France 4-2 on penalties after a thrilling 3-3 draw. Earlier, the Lionel Scaloni's side defeated Panama 2-0 on the back of goals from Messi and Thiago Almada.

Here's how fans reacted to Messi's 100th goal for Argentina:

Lionel Messi