Lionel Messi became the first South American to reach 80 goals for his country on Sunday night – and it was certainly one of the strangest he had scored.<br /><br />The fluke from 35 metres set Argentina on their way to a 3-0 win over Uruguay in a World Cup qualifier in Buenos Aires.<br /><br />Uruguay came into the match on the back of an unbeaten eight-game run and made the early running with Luis Suarez hitting the post and forcing goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez into making two great saves.<br /><br />But Messi then changed the game eight minutes before the break, although in a way no one would have anticipated.<br /><br />The Paris Saint-Germain forward floated a 35-metre pass into the area but it was missed by both advancing striker Nicolas Gonzalez and goalkeeper Fernando Muslera and somehow sneaked into the net.<br /><br />Further goals came from Rodrigo De Paul and Lautaro Martinez, and it could have been an even bigger win.<br /><br />Tottenham’s Giovani Lo Celso missed a golden chance to score when he rounded the goalkeeper but delayed before striking a shot that hit the underside of the bar and the goal line before rolling to safety.<br /><br />"We played a great game," said Messi, whose 80 goals have come in 155 internationals. "Everything worked out perfectly.<br /><br />"Uruguay wait for you and they generate danger. Once we got the first goal we started to find space and the goals appeared.”<br /><br />The win, combined with Brazil’s 0-0 draw at Colombia earlier in the day, narrows the gap between leaders Brazil and second-placed Argentina to six points at the top of the 10-team South American qualifying group.<br /><br />Uruguay ended the day in fourth, and the top four teams qualify automatically for Qatar with the fifth-placed side going into an inter-regional playoff.<br /><br />Additional reporting by Reuters<br /><br />#LionelMessi #Argentina #Uruguay<br /><br />Source: https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/lionel-messi-fluke-goal-argentina-uruguay-b959788.html
