In the South American World Cup Qualifiers Group Stage, Argentina defeated Venezuela 3-0. Lionel Messi netted his 36th career goal in World Cup Qualifiers, equaling Cristiano Ronaldo (CR7) to become the second-highest scorer in the tournament’s history.
In the 80th minute of the match, Messi scored a brace after converting a close-range finish, with the assist coming from Thiago Almada.
In doing so, he surpassed Iranian legendary striker Ali Daei and equaled Cristiano Ronaldo (CR7), climbing to second place on the all-time top scorers list for World Cup Qualifiers. He is now just 3 goals away from catching up with the leader, Guatemalan star Carlos Ruiz Gutiérrez.
At the club level, in the current season, Messi has made 34 appearances for Inter Miami CF across all competitions, with 31 of those being starts. He has scored 27 goals and provided 10 assists in the process.
