Julius OkorieThe rivalry between Portugal international Cristiano Ronaldo and his Argentina counterpart Lionel Messi does not look like one that will end in a jiffy.
While Ronaldo continues with his record breaking feats, Messi is unrelented in his catch-up and has just thrashed the hat-trick record for national team in the World Cup qualifiers.
Messi has matched Cristiano Ronaldo’s international record by scoring a hat-trick in Argentina’s 6-0 victory over Bolivia in a 2026 World Cup qualifier on Wednesday.
The Argentine Captain who led his team to victory at the last World Cup in Qatar did not only score three goals but also provided two assists in the match.
This impressive performance marks Messi’s 10th international hat trick, putting him on par with his career rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, who has also scored ten hat-tricks for Portugal’s national team.Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, are currently positioned favourably in the South American qualifiers, sitting three points ahead of second-placed Colombia and six points above arch-rivals Brazil.
READ ALSO :Ronaldo Sets Another Record Of First Player To Score 900 Goals
This places them in a strong position to secure qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is scheduled to take place in North America, across three countries the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
In contrast, Ronaldo had a frustrating night as Portugal played out a goalless draw against Scotland in the UEFA Nations League.
The star forward, who currently plays for the Saudi Pro League club, Al Nassr, was visibly disappointed with the outcome of the game as he reportedly swore to the referee for ending the game when Portugal was about to take a corner kick.
Messi has scored 112 goals for his national team 21 goals less than Ronaldo’s 133 for the Portugal national team.
Both players boast of 13 Ballon d’Or titles between then with Ronaldo having five three less that Messi’s eight
Julius Okorie is Chief Sports and Entertainment Correspondent for Prime Business Africa. He began his journalism career with the Champion Newspaper and Sporting Champion and later moved on to Daily Independent and the Nation Newspapers. Okorie joined Prime Business Africa in 2024 bringing on board 20 years of experience in writing investigative news on Sports and Entertainment. His well researched and highly informative articles on Sports Business and general entertainment are followed by a wide range of audience.
