Messi Sets New International Assist Record In Argentina's Dominant Win Over Puerto Rico

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Lionel Messi set a new record for international football assists, providing two in Argentina's 6-0 victory over Puerto Rico. Returning to the team after missing a previous match, Messi made an immediate impact at Chase Stadium. Argentina took the lead when Alexis Mac Allister headed in Nico Gonzalez's cross after Messi hit the crossbar.

Argentina extended their lead with Gonzalo Montiel's volley following Messi's precise chip. Mac Allister further secured the win before halftime by scoring after Jose Lopez's assist. Despite their dominance, Argentina waited until the 64th minute for a fourth goal, which came when Steven Echevarria inadvertently deflected Gonzalez's shot into his own net.

Substitute Lautaro Martinez added two late goals, both within five minutes. He first scored with a simple finish over Sebastian Cutler and then curled another into the bottom-right corner after receiving Messi's clever backheel pass. This performance highlighted Argentina's attacking prowess.

At 38 years old, Messi continues to break records. His two assists against Puerto Rico brought his international total to 60, surpassing Neymar's previous record of 59. He is now close to reaching 400 career assists. In this match, he led in shots (eight), chances created (five), and crosses (three), while only Rodrigo De Paul had more accurate passes than Messi's 75.

Martinez Joins Elite Scorers

Lautaro Martinez's two goals increased his international tally to 35, placing him joint-fourth on Argentina’s all-time scoring list alongside Hernan Crespo. However, he still trails far behind Messi’s leading total of 114 goals for Argentina.

The match statistics reflected Argentina’s superiority. Lionel Scaloni’s side recorded an expected goals (xG) value of 2.87 from their 25 shots, with 11 on target. In contrast, Puerto Rico managed only five attempts with an xG of just 0.21.