In Argentina's friendly match against Curacao, Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick leading Argentina to a resounding 7-0 victory. Messi reached a milestone by scoring his 100th international goal for Argentina. His first goal came in the 20th minute when he received a pass from Giovani Lo Celso and slotted a low shot. Nicolas Gonzalez doubled their lead in the 28th minute, followed by Messi's second goal with his trademark curling shot. Enzo Fernandez scored the fourth for the team, with Messi completing his hat-trick in the 37th minute with a simple finish. Three minutes before the final whistle, Gonzalo Montiel sealed the game for Argentina. With this victory, Messi has now scored his seventh hat-trick for his country, and he is the only Argentinian to achieve this feat.

Messi's achievement brought joy and celebration among his teammates and coach Lionel Scaloni. Messi's fellow goalscorer, Nicolas Gonzalez, said, "You cannot describe Messi in words. He's the best in the world and he shows it match after match, day after day. Every time he touches the ball, he makes you smile." With 102 goals to his name, Messi remains third on the all-time scorers' list, behind Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo (122) and Iran's Ali Daei (109). This friendly match was Argentina's second since winning the World Cup in December 2022.