Messi plays 1 000th career game
Last World Cup for GOAT
Lionel Messi scored in the 1 000th game of his remarkable career on Saturday to give Argentina the lead in their World Cup last 16 clash against Australia - as he seeks the only major trophy to elude him.
Lionel Messi is Argentina's all-time top scorer, with 94 goals, and is making his 169th appearance for his nation at the World Cup.The 35-year-old curled a shot past Australian keeper Mat Ryan in the 35th minute, marking his first goal in a knockout match, his third in Qatar so far, and taking his total at the global tournament to nine - one more than former Argentina great Diego Maradona.
Julian Alvarez doubled Argentina's lead in the 57th minute.
Messi joined Barcelona's youth set-up at 13, becoming their top scorer also, with 672 goals in 778 games, before moving to Paris St Germain last year.
In total, he has scored 789 career goals. Messi is playing at his fifth World Cup and has said it will be his last, making it all the more important for him to win the trophy if he is to match the legacy of Maradona, his great predecessor in the number 10 shirt.