Olaleye Idowu
Lionel Messi has now matched Cristiano Ronaldo’s feat following his brace against Venezuela in the World Cup Qualifiers on Friday.
Messi netted in the 39th and 80th minutes, respectively, as Argentina beat Venezuela 3-0.
Lautaro Martinez netted the third goal for the South American giants.
Messi’s two goals meant he has now equalled Ronaldo’s number of goals in World Cup Qualifiers, as reported by Asianet News.
The Portuguese and Argentine legends have both scored 36 goals and only trail former Guatemalan striker Carlos Ruiz, who has 39 goals to his name.
The 38-year-old received a thunderous applause when he walked onto the pitch at the Monumental Stadium with his children.
Messi, who recently announced that he might not be playing in the 2026 World Cup, could hang up his boots after the tournament.
Messi has won 46 trophies across his illustrious career, including the FIFA World Cup in 2022.
