Twitter explodes as Lionel Messi steals the show for Argentina with stunning 5 goal haul against Estonia

Lionel Messi scores five goals in one match for Argentina

Twitter users have reacted to Argentina captain Lionel Messi scoring all five of his team's goals as the South American giants dismantled Estonia in Spain.

The 34-year-old forward extended his record as his country's all-time greatest goalscorer as he took his tally to 86 strikes following an extraordinary display against the European minnows.

5-0 Argentina.

MESSI WITH HIS 5TH GOAL! 🇦🇷🌟 https://t.co/kuuULyplHG

Messi opened the scoring by converting a penalty before doubling the lead just before half-time. The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner scored a second-half hat-trick to seal a convincing victory for the South American giants, who are continuing their preparations for this year's World Cup in Qatar.

Lionel Scaloni's side are on an outstanding run of form, having followed their Copa America victory last year with a convincing 3-0 triumph over Italy at Wembley in La Finalissima last week.

According to Transfermarkt, this is only the second time in Messi's iconic career that he has netted five times in the same game after previously achieving the feat in a Champions League clash with Bayer Leverkusen in 2012 when he was still leading the line for Barcelona.

Following the legendary forward's incredible display against the Estonians, supporters took to Twitter to praise Messi, as well making inevitable comparisons to his arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo:

Lionel Messi when he heard Kylian Mbappe say that football in South America is not as advanced as Europe. https://t.co/F1uUsH1ve4

HOW MANY GOALS TODAY MESSI? ✋ https://t.co/P7X1xlHq60

Ronaldo has 5 goals vs Estonia in his international career and Messi just matched it in ONE game 😭😭 https://t.co/Avoa4fRgNJ

Messi just scored 83% of all his league goals in one game combined. Estonia are being put through the blender.

Playmaking Master class against Italy, Goal scoring master class against Estonia.

Leo Messi means total football. https://t.co/F5WnZMxebW

And now he has FIVE. 🤯

Messi overtakes Ferenc Puskás to become the fourth all-time international scorer. twitter.com/sportbible/sta…

MESSI HATTRICK

Messi has more official goals (766) than Pele (765). The greatest goal scorer, the greatest playmaker, the greatest player of all time.

FIVE GOALS FOR MESSI WTF 😭😭😭😭

Being able to say you’re part of the generation who were able to watch Ronaldo, Messi, Nadal in the same era is a huge flex.

Messi’s remontada for Argentina isn’t spoken about enough. He went from hearing “Why do they kill you in Argentina?” from his own son to being worshipped. And you can see, nothing makes him happier than that.

Messi and Neymar would have 200+ international goals if they played against these European teams.

Messi shows us the level of competition in the European Qualifiers. It’s pathetic. He could’ve easily passed 250 goals for his national team if he was born in Europe.

No way Messi matched Penaldo’s career goal vs Estonia in 80 mins. 😭😭😭😭 https://t.co/2SU49F8j1P

Said this after Messi scored a brace. He's now got FIVE twitter.com/Rohandinho_/st…

Imagine Messi in European qualifying all his career

Lionel Messi has now scored FIVE goals in one match for Argentina!

Messi has played 1 game and a half against European nations, 2 goals and 2 assists. You can’t help but imagine what he’d do if he faced teams like this on a regular basis.. the records he’d break.

📊 | Lionel Messi reaches 56 hat-tricks in his career.

🔸48 hat tricks – FC Barcelona
🔹8 hat tricks – Argentina NT https://t.co/M2RNEWc7Oz

Notice how Messi is the only South American on this list. Makes you think 🫣 twitter.com/mvsrapp/status…

Messi just ended the international career debate for good, 5 goals in one game against the type of team a certain European plays 70% of his games against

Lionel Messi claims Argentina "can compete with anyone"

Argentina are aiming to become the first non-European side to claim football's biggest prize since Brazil's victory in 2002. Messi came close to winning the one honor that has so far eluded him in his unparralled career, when his side fell to defeat in the 2014 final against Germany in Brazil.

The PSG attacker has spoken of his side's chances of going one further in Qatar, a tournament that will almost certainly be his final one wearing the blue and white stripes of his country.

He told TyC Sports (as quoted by Mundo Deportivo):

“Argentina can fight anyone. I'm not saying that we are the great candidate to lift the World Cup, but we are ready. The memory of the Copa América is beautiful after so much suffering, but now there is another challenge on the way. I feel comfortable when we get together in the national team, everything flows, we all know what our role is and what we have to do”.

Argentina have been drawn in a group alongside Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Poland as they hunt for their first World Cup triumph since 1986.