Argentina 2-0 Panama: Messi scores stunning free kick to bring up 800 career goals

The
Paris
Saint-Germain
superstar
was
nearly
moved
to
tears
as
his
side
were
serenaded
by
the
raucous
El
Monumental
crowd
in
the
World
Cup
champions’ return
to
Buenos
Aires.

He
gave
his
fans
an
inspired
performance,
striking
the
crossbar
with
two
free
kicks
before
sending
another
into
the
top
corner
to
bring
up
800
goals
in
his
storied
career.

He
joined
Thiago
Almada
on
the
scoresheet
after
the
Atlanta
United
forward
scrambled
home
one
of
Messi’s
crossbar
rebounds
earlier
in
the
second
half.

????

#SelecciónMayor
–

#Amistoso

????
¡Tenía
que
llegar
tu
gol,
capitán!
⚽pic.twitter.com/UzM49A0Utg

—
????????
Selección
Argentina
⭐⭐⭐
(@Argentina)

March
24,
2023

Argentina
piled
on
the
pressure
right
from
the
first
whistle,
and
their
early
dominance
was
almost
rewarded
when
Messi’s
free
kick
cannoned
off
the
crossbar
in
the
17th
minute.

Less
than
10
minutes
later
Rodrigo
De
Paul
played
a
gorgeous
ball
through
to
Alexis
Mac
Allister,
but
Panama
goalkeeper
Jose
Guerra
made
himself
big
and
smothered
the
first-time
attempt
on
the
edge
of
the
six-yard
box.

Guerra
rose
the
occasion
once
again
in
the
shadows
of
half-time,
denying
a
rocket
bound
for
the
top
corner
from
Enzo
Fernandez’s
boot
to
keep
his
side
level
through
45
minutes
despite
trailing
10-1
in
the
shot
count
and
controlling
only
27
per
cent
of
the
possession.

The
Argentinian
onslaught
continued
in
the
second
half,
with
a
Messi
corner
kick
five
minutes
after
the
restart
forcing
a
scrambling
save
from
Guerra
as
it
threatened
to
curl
under
the
crossbar.

Another
Messi
direct
free
kick
drew
another
save
from
Guerra,
and
he
was
there
once
again
to
deny
Angel
Di
Maria
from
the
resulting
corner
in
what
was
shaping
up
as
a
Man
of
the
Match
performance
from
the
Panama
shot-stopper.

But
he
was
denied
a
clean
sheet
as
the
hosts’ dominance
eventually
paid
off
in
the
78th
minute,
when
another
Messi
free
kick
hit
the
crossbar,
but
this
time
Almada
was
in
the
right
spot
to
force
home
the
rebound
for
his
first
goal
in
an
Argentina
shirt.

A
fourth
free
kick
proved
to
be
the
charm
for
Messi,
curling
it
over
the
wall
and
under
the
bar
in
the
89th
minute
to
put
an
exclamation
point
on
a
spectacular
individual
performance.