Lionel Messi

 

Watch: Lionel Messi marks 36th birthday with stunning free-kick in emotional return to boyhood club Newell's Old Boys

Lionel Messi was in hot form on his 36th birthday, scoring a brilliant hattrick in Maxi Rodriguez' testimonial match on Saturday (June 24). The testimonial match saw Argentina take on Newell's Old Boys, and it also included the likes of Lionel Scaloni and former player Sergio Aguero. It was an emotional return for Messi, as he had started his career with Newell's.

The main focus in the match was on Messi, as he received a brilliant reception from fans, who also went bonkers after his free kick. In the fourth minute, Argentina received a free-kick from outside the box, and Messi simply placed it in the top-right corner. Such was the brilliance of the goal that Maxi couldn't help but smile in his testimonial match.

After the match, Messi spoke about leading Argentina to 2022 FIFA World Cup glory in Qatar in December. Speaking to the media, he said, “As I said at the time: it was our turn to be world champions, but behind us were millions of impressive players who did many great things with the National Team, beyond the fact that they did not raise a cup.”

Speaking about his retirement plans, he added, “Although what we did is something special (winning the World Cup) and unique, the dream of every footballer... you're thinking about what's to come, more than what you did. When it's my turn to leave football, I'm going to remember and enjoy everything I've achieved much more.”

He left PSG after the 2022-23 Ligue 1 season as a free agent and signed a deal with MLS side Inter Miami. He had an unceremonious exit from Paris as PSG fans jeered him in his final fixture for the club.

Messi led Argentina to a penalty shootout victory against France in the final, at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar. In what turned out to be a tightly-contested final, Argentina took the lead in the 23rd-minute, with Messi converting a penalty after Angel Di Maria was fouled in the box by Ousmane Dembele.

Then a quick counter in the 36th-minute saw Messi flick a ball past his marker to pick out Alexis Mac Allister's run. The Brighton midfielder surged into the box, before squaring it to Di Maria, who beat a rushing Lloris with a bottom corner finish to make it 2-0 for Argentina.

It looked like Argentina were cruising to an easy win, but Kylian Mbappe had other plans and brought France back into the game with two goals in 97 seconds. In the 80th-minute, the PSG star converted a penalty to make it 1-2 after Kolo Muani was brought down in the Argentine box. Then the 23-year-old made it 2-2 with a stunning volley in the 81st-minute.