Lionel Messi breaks Neymar record after starring in Argentina's 6-0 win over Puerto Rico

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Argentina captain Lionel Messi has set a new record for the most assists in international football ater his pair of assists against Puerto Rico. The Inter Miami superstar assisted two goals in his side's 6-0 win, surpassing former teammate Neymar's tally for Brazil.

Messi made his return to the Argentina national team squad for their friendly against Puerto Rico in Miami, having played for his club last week. He provided an assist on each half for La Albiceleste, taking his tally for the national team to 60, one more than Neymar has managed for Brazil.

Lionel Scaloni started Messi alongside new boy Flaco Lopez in attack, and they both helped their country make it two wins from two in this international window. Messi assisted right-back Gonzalo Montiel to score the second goal for Argentina with a powerful volley in the 23rd minute.

The Inter Miami captain provided his second assist of the evening for his side's sixth goal to close out the game in the 87th minute. He unselfishly passed the ball to Inter Milan captain Lautaro Martinez to score his second of the night, having come on as a substitute for the world champions.

Lionel Messi has reached 60 assists for his country in 194 appearances, also scoring 114 goals in those games for La Albiceleste. Neymar's tally of 59 assists came in 128 games for the Selecao, with injuries preventing the Santos star from contributing for the best part of two years. Messi's brace of assists took him to 398 career assists for club and country, leaving him just two shy of a landmark tally of 400.

Lionel Messi returns to lead Argentina to friendly win

Lionel Messi returned to action for Argentina, playing 90 minutes in their 6-0 friendly win over Puerto Rico at the Chase Stadium, home of Inter Miami. The 38-year-old forward provided two assists, one in each half, as La Albiceleste made it two wins from two this month.

Messi was excused from his country's 1-0 win over Venezuela last week as he opted to play for Inter Miami, instead. With him in the team, they quickly went ahead through Liverpool man Alexis Mac Allister in the 15th minute. Messi then provided an assist for Gonzalo Montiel to double Argentina's advantage only eight minutes later.

Mac Allister completed his brace in the 36th minute to put his side three goals up before Steven Echevarria scored an own goal in the second half to make it four. Lautaro Martinez scored a late quick fire brace, the second of which was assisted by Lionel Messi, to ensure that his side claimed a big win in Florida.

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About the author

Sulayman Salahudeen

Sulayman is a European and international football writer at Sportskeeda covering news and transfer rumors. He has an overall experience of 4 years, having previously worked at the likes of SportsRation and ExtraTimeTalk. His tryst with the sport happened at a young age, playing it at home and watching the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

Sulayman has a good feel for the game, which is reflected in his descriptive articles. He double checks information via multiple sources for accuracy, and only uses top-tier platforms like Transfermarkt and Opta for statistical information. His experience and exploits in the industry have led Sulayman to cover the Nigerian Professional League for three years along with games involving the Nigerian national team. He has also worked in F1, joining hands with industry veterans to provide a smooth viewing experience in Nigeria.

Sulayman hails Lionel Messi as the one true GOAT, and his brace in Argentina’s 2005 U20 FIFA World Cup final win over Nigeria left a lasting impact on him. He also supports Chelsea at club level, having followed their dominance under Jose Mourinho. Sulayman also follows other leagues with Nigerian players like Eredivisie, Saudi Pro League, Turkish Super Lig, and more. When not writing, he enjoys cooking and eating.

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