Lionel Messi has overtaken Ferenc Puskas in the all-time international men’s top scorers list after scoring all five goals in Argentina’s emphatic 5-0 victory over Estonia.
The Argentinian returned to Spanish shores for a friendly encounter against Estonia on Sunday, and it was a return that the former Barcelona player certainly enjoyed.
Messi wrapped up his hat-trick within 47 minutes, taking him level with Puskas, but two more goals in the final 20 minutes at El Sadar, ensured the Paris-Saint Germain attacker moved into fourth place among the all-time international men’s top scorers.
The five-star performance also helped the 34-year-old become the first man to score five goals in a European Cup or Champions League game and in a senior international fixture.
As a result of his dazzling display in Pamplona, Messi took his international tally to 86 goals, leaving him three behind Malaysia’s Mokhtar Dahari.
Although, there is a lot more work to be done if the Argentina captain wishes to close the gap to the top two, with Iran’s Ali Daei on 109 goals, while Cristiano Ronaldo has found the net on 117 occasions for Portugal.
