Lionel Messi turned on the style once again for Argentina with a typically sublime finish in a friendly clash against Australia in the Worker's Stadium in Beijing, and afterwards offered a hint as to when he'll play his first game with Inter Miami.
The venue for the Olympic Games back in 2008 played host to re-match of sorts as the two countries faced off for a first time since the World Cup in 2022. The iconic winger captained his country to a 2-1 victory over the Socceroos in that Round of 16 game on the way to a famous tournament win in in Qatar, opening the scoring in the 35th minute on that occasion.
The magnificent 35-year-old legend repeated the feat in the Chinese capital, firing past former Brighton and Arsenal goalkeeper to get the world champions off the mark in the exhibition match. This time, spectators did not have to wait long to see the forward get himself on the scoresheet as he notched after just two minutes.
The ex-Barcelona star found himself in space just outside the opposition box and with defenders backing off him simply made things look easy by placing a long-range effort into the top corner.
Incredibly, the lofted finish was his 102nd goal for Argentina, extending his record as the country's all-time goalscorer even further. The strike was followed up by a goal from Real Betis defender Germán Pezzella, who made it 2-0 to put the Australians out of sight.
The game same Messi get back to doing what he does best after what has been an eventful month so far, with his impending transfer to MLS outfit Inter Miami having been confirmed. The departing Paris Saint-Germain star turned down the opportunity to return to the Camp Nou as well as a lucrative offer from the Saudi Pro League to move stateside.
Speaking after the game, Messi offered a hint as to when he'll finally play for Miami, indicating he wanted to enjoy a bit of time away from the pitch before returning. He said: "'I want to [go] on my holiday and then afterwards, we go again." Messi is due to be with the Argentina national side until the end of June, so it's unlikely he'll play with Miami until the middle of July.
His move to the US did take some observers by surprise but the prospect has been welcomed by his national team manager Lionel Scaloni. The pair were able to deliver the country's first World Cup since the days of Diego Maradona in 1986 and it seems as though the former West Ham player has accepted his player's decision.
Speaking prior to the match against Australia, he said: "[Messi's] statement seems to me to be very prudent. He is a man who doesn't tell lies, and the reality is that we're going to see how he feels. The World Cup is so far away that it makes no sense to think beyond that."
Whether the Argentinian icon will eventually hang up his boots for his country in the coming years remains to be seen. However, it does appear that he is showing no signs of slowing down just yet.
