After the dramatic suspension of their clash with Brazil last time out, Argentina put in a professional performance to clinch a convincing 3-0 win over Bolivia.
Captain Lionel Messi scored a delightful hat-trick as the Copa America champions made light work of their opponents to solidify their place in the FIFA World Cup qualifying.
The six-time Ballon d’Or winner also broke Pele’s record to become the highest South American male player in history, taking his tally to 79 with a hat-trick.
Messi got the opener after 14 minutes in Buenos Aires, dancing around the Bolivian defence before curling the ball into the net from just outside the box.
He made it 2-0 in the 64th minute after working a one-two with Lautaro Maetinez and displaying superb footwork in a packed penalty box, then completed the hat-trick with two minutes left, crashing home a rebound from close range.
His 77th, 78th and 79th goals marked his seventh hat-trick for the national side and took him two above Pele in the South American scoring charts.
Argentina are second behind Beazil in the 10-team qualifying group for Qatar in 2022. The top four teams qualify automatically and the fifth-placed side goes into an inter-regional playoff.
