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Football fans on social media have praised Lionel Messi, calling for him to win the 2023 Ballon d'Or following his stunning free-kick in Argentina's victory over Ecuador.
La Albiceleste welcomed La Tri to the Estadio Mas Monumental in Buenos Aires for a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier on Thursday, September 7. Despite naming a strong starting XI, the reigning world champions struggled to break down a solid Ecuador backline.
Lionel Scaloni's men needed some magic to break the deadlock and they got it from their skipper. In the 78th minute, Lionel Messi scored with a fantastic free-kick from a few yards outside the box, with his shot leaving goalkeeper Hernan Galindez rooted to his spot.
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Argentina saw the game out to begin their qualifying campaign with a 1-0 win. Following the victory, fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to praise Messi, with one of them saying he should receive his record-extending eighth Ballon d'Or:
"MESSI IS THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME GIVE HIM THE BALLON D'OR"
Another drew a comparison to La Pulga's long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo and tweeted:
"Better than Ronaldo everyday"
One fan simply wrote:
"HE'S COMING FOR NUMBER 8"
Here are some more comments from fans:
Apart from scoring Argentina's winner against Ecuador, Lionel Messi recorded two key passes, completed four dribbles and won two fouls. He has now netted 104 goals in 176 appearances for his national team, while also laying out 55 assists.
The Inter Miami CF superstar will try to add to his record when La Albiceleste take on Bolivia in another World Cup qualifier on Tuesday, September 12.
Argentina skipper Lionel Messi is one of the frontrunners to win the 2023 Ballon d'Or
The 30-man nominee list for this year's Ballon d'Or was released earlier this week.
Lionel Messi and Manchester City striker Erling Haaland headline a list that also includes Kevin De Bruyne, Kylian Mbappe and Rodri, among others. Most pundits expect either Messi or Haaland to lift the trophy in the ceremony in Paris on October 30.
La Pulga endured an excellent individual season with Paris Saint-Germain, recording 21 goals and 20 assists across competitions. He won Ligue 1 and the Trophee des Champions with the Parisians.
Lionel Messi has since scored 11 goals and laid out five assists in nine matches for his current team, Inter Miami CF. He also led them to glory in the Leagues Cup, the first trophy in the club's history.
He also starred for Argentina at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, netting seven times and assisting thrice in seven matches as they lifted the trophy. Messi won the Golden Ball, which gets awarded to the best player in the tournament.
Erling Haaland, meanwhile, was a force to be reckoned with as he hammered home 52 goals in 53 matches across competitions for Manchester City last term. The Norwegian, who also got nine assists, played an integral part as City won the Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League to complete a treble.
Haaland has begun the 2023-24 season by scoring six times in as many games.
