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Argentina's prolific forward, Lionel Messi, found a way to topple records and carved his name in history once again after rising to the summit of the top assist-makers in men's international football history.
The Argentinian skipper notched two assists during Argentina's 6-0 rout over Puerto Rico at Chase Stadium in Florida. With a tally of 60, Messi eclipsed Neymar (58) and Landon Donovan (58) to become the player with the most assists in men's international football. Messi set up goals for Alexis Mac Allister and Lautaro Martinez, who remained clinical, converted the opportunities and finished with a brace. Puerto Rico barely threatened the world champions throughout the 90 minutes as the Albiceleste slotted six goals past their resilient defence. Gonzalo Montiel struck the net, and an own goal from Steven Echevarria completed the demolition job. Messi made his first international assist at the age of 19 in his World Cup debut in 2006, when Argentina hammered Serbia with a 6-0 win. Meanwhile, Messi's arch-rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, continued to script new milestones in the international circuit at the age of 40. The veteran goal-scoring machine netted a brace during Portugal's 2-2 draw with Hungary. After Szalai handed Hungary an early lead, Ronaldo restored parity in the 22nd minute and surpassed Guatemala international Carlos Ruiz's tally to register his 40th World Cup qualifying goal, the most in history. He increased his tally to 41 with a second strike towards the end of the first half to further cement his authority. Overall, Ronaldo now boasts 143 international goals to his name, while the all-time tally reached 947 for club and country. The seasoned striker is just 53 shy of becoming the first player to reach the elusive four figures on the competitive goal front. Even though he made history, Ronaldo's brace wasn't enough to guarantee Portugal's qualification as the game ended in a draw. Portugal will have to wait until next month to confirm their participation in the 2026 World Cup in America. As Ronaldo continues to dazzle despite being in the twilight phase of his career, he wil be keen to bag his first coveted title. (ANI)
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