Oct 16,V7N- Lionel Messi delivered a stunning hat trick as Argentina cruised to a 6-0 victory over Bolivia in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers on Tuesday. The 37-year-old showcased his brilliance, contributing three goals, two assists, and several moments of signature creativity in front of a roaring crowd at Buenos Aires' Monumental Stadium.

Messi opened the scoring in the 19th minute after a mistake by Bolivian defender Marcelo Suarez allowed Lautaro Martínez to feed Messi, who coolly finished into the bottom corner. Shortly before halftime, Messi set up Martínez for Argentina's second, and then Julian Alvarez scored from a clever Messi chip, making it 3-0.

After the break, Thiago Almada added the fourth with a neat finish from a Nahuel Molina pull-back. Messi's second goal came in the 84th minute, a classic left-footed strike, before he completed his hat trick two minutes later after a smart wall pass with substitute Nico Paz.

Argentina's victory keeps them at the top of the 10-team CONMEBOL table with 22 points, three points clear of second-placed Colombia, who thrashed Chile 4-0. Davinson Sanchez opened the scoring for Colombia, followed by goals from Luis Diaz, Jhon Duran, and Luis Sinisterra, as Chile's woes continued at the bottom of the table.

Paraguay also secured a crucial 2-1 win over Venezuela, thanks to two second-half goals from Antonio Sanabria, boosting their hopes of securing one of the six automatic qualification spots. Meanwhile, Uruguay and Ecuador played out a goalless draw, with Brazil scheduled to face Peru later on Tuesday.

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