‘Aur kitna marega’ – Fans admire Lionel Messi’s brilliance to score 800th career goal in friendly match against Panama

After a long time of winning the FIFA World Cup 2022, Argentina faced Panama in a friendly match on Thursday, March 23 in which the world champions won 2-0. In this fixture, one goal was scored by Thiago Almada and the other was scored by Argentine skipper Lionel Messi who scored the 800th goal of his career at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires.

In the first half of the game, Argentina was unable to penetrate the Panamanian defence, but Almada scored his first goal against Panama on a rebound from a Messi free-kick. Then, the Argentine captain finally scored his 800th goal in his career with a free kick that found the top-right corner of the net.

In front of an enthusiastic 80,000 spectators at “El Monumental,” his goal in the 89th minute extended Argentina’s advantage and secured the team’s victory. Following Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal, who has scored 830 goals in his career, Messi became the second player in football to achieve 800 goals.

This time we got it and it’s incredible: Scaloni

The Argentina Football Association also hosted a post-game ceremony to celebrate the country’s FIFA World Cup victory, which was the nation’s third title overall and first in 36 years.

“I always dreamed of this moment, to celebrate with you in my country Argentina, lifting the greatest thing that is the World Cup. Let’s keep doing what we are doing and enjoy this because we have been waiting a long time to win it again. Let’s enjoy the third star,” Messi was quoted as saying at a post-match ceremony.

“Eternal gratitude to these players. Football belongs to them, and without them, we wouldn’t have won the World Cup. Everyone who wears this shirt gives their all and sometimes the results don’t come. But this time we got it and it’s incredible,” asserted coach Scaloni in front of a victory lap of players and family that was inspired like the one his squad took at Lusail Stadium 95 days prior.

Here’s how fans reacted after Lionel Messi scored his 800th goal: