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Lionel Messi arrived in Argentina in the early hours of Tuesday to join the national team ahead of the world champions’ debut in the World Cup qualifiers.
La Albiceleste will begin their journey towards the World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico on Thursday, September 7, at 9:00 PM, at the Monumental Stadium against Ecuador. Then, they will face Bolivia in the high altitude of La Paz on Tuesday, September 12, at 5:00 PM.
But this won’t be just another double-header. The captain of the Argentine national team has the chance to snatch a goal-scoring record from his friend, Uruguayan Luis Suárez, who was not called up by Marcelo Bielsa for this first double-header.
The Argentine superstar, who has been excelling in MLS with Inter Miami, has scored 28 goals in 60 games and is just one goal away from becoming the all-time top scorer in South American Qualifiers. Currently, the record is held by Suárez, known as “Pistolero,” with 29 goals scored in 58 matches.
The top 5 goal-scorers in World Cup Qualifiers are:
- Luis Suárez (Uruguay) – 29 goals
- Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 28 goals
- Marcelo Moreno Martins (Bolivia) – 22 goals
- Alexis Sánchez (Chile) – 20 goals
- Hernán Crespo (Argentina) – 19 goals
