Lionel Messi enjoyed an eventful evening on Tuesday, as Argentina defeated Jamaica 3-0 in a friendly in New York's Red Bull Arena.
Argentina needed two late goals from captain Messi, 35, to secure victory against a Jamaica side that included Michail Antonio, Ravel Morrison, Adrian Mariappa, Leon Bailey and Bobby Decordova-Reid. Manchester City striker Julian Alvarez also scored in the first half.
Messi was undoubtedly the star attraction in New York and his first goal was simply brilliant. The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner picked up the ball and drove at the defence in trademark fashion before finding the bottom corner with a strike from the edge of the box.
Messi's second goal was another moment of magic and it was scored from around the same distance as his first. On this occasion, the Paris Saint-Germain forward bent a free kick around the wall and into the bottom corner to leave Jamaica stunned.
As well as confirming Argentina's victory, Messi's brace means he's now the third-highest scoring in the history of men's international football. The Barcelona icon now has 90 goals for his country, although he is still 27 behind Cristiano Ronaldo's stunning record.
Yet the drama didn't stop there. He was made to jump when a topless supporter approached him from behind and bizarrely asked him to sign his back. Messi obliged and started writing his signature on the pitch invader before the authorities caught up.
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Several stewards jumped on the fan as Messi signed his back, knocking the footballer out of the way in the process. Messi was left baffled with a pen in his hand. It's believed three fans invaded the pitch during Tuesday evening's game to try to meet Messi.
Jamaica's squad and coaching staff were also in awe of the veteran forward. Messi signed autographs and posed for pictures with members of the Jamaican set-up before making his way off the New York pitch with yet another win secured.
Argentina have just one more friendly to play against the United Arab Emirates on November 16 before their World Cup campaign starts against Saudi Arabia six days later. Lionel Scaloni's side also have group games against Mexico and Poland to contend with.
The World Cup is the only major honour that has evaded Messi during his glittering career. The forward led Argentina to the final of the competition in 2014, where they lost 1-0 to Germany in Rio de Janeiro. He was named as the Player of the Tournament for his efforts.
For many years, Messi struggled to win major tournaments with Argentina. He was part of the squad that lost the Copa America final in 2007, 2015 and 2016. He retired from international football after the 2016 defeat, as it was his third final loss in three years.
Messi soon returned to the international fold and broke his duck last year when Argentina defeated Brazil 1-0 to win the Copa America. Argentina then defeated European champions Italy 3-0 at Wembley in June to claim the Finalissima crown.
