Lionel Scaloni put the Argentine star back in the starting lineup on Tuesday against Peru in a 2026 World Cup qualifying game. On Thursday, he came on as a substitute against Paraguay.
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How did Messi make himself known again? With two goals in 10 minutes to make it 2-0 in the first half.
The first one came in the 32nd minute during a shift. Left winger Nico Gonzalez sent a cutback pass from the left side that Messi caught on the first try and beat goalie Pedro Gallese in a stunning way.
After 10 minutes, he added his second. The left back Nicolas Tagliafico broke through Peru’s 4-4-2 mid-block with a sharp through ball to Enzo Fernandez. Fernandez’s cutback pass went off of scorer Julian Alvarez and into the path of Messi, who scored again on the first try.
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