More than 83,000 people packed the Monumental stadium to see the Argentina team

The Argentine National Team defeated Panama 2-0 in a friendly that served the Albiceleste as an excuse to celebrate obtaining the third world title achieved in Catar2022and that allowed Lionel Messi reach the 800 goals in his carrer.

83,000 people filled the stands of the River Plate pitch and sang their lungs out. boysthe song by La Mosca Ts-Ts that has become the unofficial anthem of this hobby.

Argentina managed to crown the round number of goals for its captain and become the first world champion of the century who manages to debut his title with a victoryafter the failed Brazil (2002), Italy (2006), Spain (2010), Germany (2014) and France (2018). With goals from Thiago Almada and Messi himself, the Argentine team achieved a victory in front of their public, in a day that was marked by festivities with lights, fireworks and various musical shows.

After a moment of pure emotion with the entrance to the stadium of the world champion with the players along with their children, it was difficult for Albiceleste to impose their game against a Panama that arrived in South American territory without its main figures.

Panama played this match without its coach, the Danish Thomas Christiansen, and with Jorge Dely Valds leading a youth team, while the main players stayed in the country preparing for next Tuesday’s duel against Costa Rica for the sixth round of the League of Nations. of Concacaf.

Argentina, meanwhile, had the exciting reunion with his public who applauded their idols and heroes who won the world title, after 36 years of waiting since that distant conquest in Mexico in 1986. The match began with a lukewarm attack by the local team that found no connections between the local players and a strong Panamanian defense led by Edgardo Faria.

In the 17th minute, and after the habitual ovation to Diego Maradona in minute 10came one of the clearest of the game with a free kick executed by Messi that hit the post before a José Guerra who only managed to observe the ball.

Argentina had two more chances thanks to a weak shot from Alexis Mac Allister that Guerra controlled in the 23rd minute and another from Ángel Di María five minutes later who had a shot that went wide over the crossbar.

At minute 42, Argentina once again had their great opportunity with a burst of pure explosion from right to left, but their finish went over the post. A minute later Enzo Fernndez tested from medium distance and the goalkeeper Guerra with a spectacular fly from Guerra to take the ball to the corner kick.

In the second half, Lionel Scaloni decided to move the relay bench with the entries of Lisandro Martínez, Thiago Almada and Lautaro Martínez for Nicols Otamendi, Alexis Mac Allister and Julin Álvarez, while on the visit Víctor Medina and Omar Browne replaced Cristian Quevedo and Ronaldo Córdoba.

Messi, at the start of the plug-in, almost converted with a closed corner kick that demanded Guerra’s response and in the 51st minute another Messi free kick demanded a new intervention by the San Francisco FC goalkeeper.

In the 56th minute, another free kick from the Argentine captain and French PSG player demanded Guerra again, who hit the ball over the crossbar. Barely two minutes later, a shot by Ángel Di Mara forced another save from Guerra, who on the rebound had a fair intervention by Ivn Anderson against a Nicols Tagliafico who came facing the goal to define.

With quarter of an hour into the second half, Scaloni moved the goal again with the income of Paulo Dybala and Leandro Paredes for Ángel Di María and Enzo Fernández. And in the 60th minute an option from Panama arrived with a rained pass that found a shot from Alfredo Stephens that went wide near Emiliano’s post. BackMartnez

In the 70th minute, a clearance rained down from Messi to Marcos Acua demanded a providential save from Jiovany Ramos to prevent the visitor’s fence from falling. And a minute later it was Messi himself, who found a precise cross, but his header went wide over the crossbar.

However, in minute 77 Messi hit the crossbar again with a free kick and the rebound missed first Leandro Paredes and then Thiago Almada defined the cross to overcome the resistance of the Central American cast. In 80 the captain tried his free kick again but it went wide. However, the Argentine public exploded with the thunderous Messi, Messi supporting the world star who the next minute had her on the move again, but his shot was contained by Guerra.

In the 86th minute, Messi was physically ready for a new play in slalom and gave up a ball to Lautaro Martínez, who took a shot that again found Guerra well placed to contain the ball. In the next minute Messi made it 2-0 with a free kick in which he put the ball into Guerra’s upper left corner, who could not do anything for the Argentine star to reach 800 points in his career and 99 scores with the Argentine National Team.

In this way the curtain closed and Argentina had time to crown their world champion party before their audience with a Messi who fulfilled the objective of celebrating the 800th goal of his career. For the Albiceleste, the future marks a new friendly next Tuesday against Curaçao at the Madre de Ciudades De Santiago del Estero stadium, while Panama will face Costa Rica for the sixth day of the Concacaf Nations League.