The 35-year-old scored a total of nine World Cup goals in his 1,000th career match, surpassing his great predecessor and compatriot Diego Maradona.
He paid tribute to the millions of fans in Qatar for making the matches feel like home games for Argentina.
After celebrating on the field, Messi said, “These are incredible moments. We want to thank everyone present here. The whole of Argentina would love to be here.”
“This unity we’ve enjoyed for a while is so beautiful. It’s incredible how the fans are living each game and transmitting so much passion and energy. I thank them because it’s incredible.”
“We played recently, we didn’t have much time to rest. We were worried. They were very strong. Luckily, we found the goal and we were one goal ahead and then we were two goals ahead. And then We suffered a setback. That’s the World Cup for you. Matches are always tough.
“We have taken another step and now another difficulty is coming,” said Messi, whose team will face the Netherlands in the quarter-finals.