“I dreamt a lot about this day”

Lionel Messi scored his 79th international goal in the wee hours of Friday to break the South American men’s record held by Pele.

Messi, who helped his country to Copa America glory this year, hit a hattrick for Argentina in their World Cup qualifying 3–0 win over Bolivia in Buenos Aires, which put him two ahead of Pele.

“I dreamed a lot about this day and thank God it came,” the 34-year-old posted on Instagram.

“I have no words to thank you for all the love received. What a beautiful night, I really enjoyed it. Unforgettable.”

In a post-match interview, a tearful Messi added: “I really wanted to be able to enjoy it. I waited a long time for this, I looked for it and I dreamed of it. It’s a unique moment for the way it happened after so much waiting.

“There was no better way to celebrate this than to be here. My mother, my brothers are in the stands… They suffered a lot and today, they are here celebrating. I’m very happy.”

Messi has been Argentina’s most prolific scorer since 2016, when he surpassed Gabriel Batistuta (54 goals).