BUENOS AIRES (AP) — Lionel Messi scored his 10th international hat trick, increasing his career tally to 112 goals. He also had two assists to help Argentina beat Bolivia 6-0 in a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday.

After missing two qualifying games in October while recovering an injury to the right ankle Messi, who won the Copa América, played the entire game in front of loud fans at the Estadio Monumental, who chanted his name after he scored the opening goal in the 19th minute.

Messi added more goals in the 84th and 86th minutes. The 37-year-old is in second place on the career goalscoring list behind Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo’s 133-year-old.

Rival Brazil and coach Dorival Júnio, who were under pressure, found relief with a convincing performance in a 4-0 home win against Peru.

Argentina leads South American qualifying with 22 points after 10 games, three points ahead of second-place Colombia, which beat Chile 4-0. Uruguay, who previously played a goalless draw against Ecuador, and Brazil have 16 points each, with the Uruguayans in third place on goal difference.

Ecuador and Paraguay follow with 13 points each, with Ecuador in fifth place on goal difference.

The top six teams will automatically secure a spot for the 2026 World Cup. The seventh-place team, currently Bolivia, will play in an international playoff for a place in the tournament.

Two more rounds will be played in November.

Messi is in strong form on his return

Messi’s first goal came after a mistake by a Bolivian defender who missed a pass, allowing Messi to run free and finish safely in front of goalkeeper Billy Viscarra. Messi set up Lautaro Martínez’s goal in the 43rd minute and once again delivered a crucial pass. Julián Álvarez scored in the third minute of stoppage time in the first half.

Thiago Almada in the 69th minute after a low cross from Nahuel Molina, before Messi had a great finish from the edge of the box.

“We had fun, we are happy to play here in Argentina,” said Messi, who again refused to say whether he will play at the next World Cup in 2026. “This could be one of the last (games before the Argentine audience).

Bolivia, aiming to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 30 years, remains in the race with 12 points.

Brazil re-emerges under Júnior

This month’s South American qualifying rounds were important for coach Dorival Júnior. His team was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the last Copa América, struggling against rivals it used to easily beat, such as Paraguay and Venezuela.

Júnior’s chances of success seemed slim in the games against Chile and Peru as several of his regular players were injured. Goalkeeper Alisson, defender Éder Militão and striker Vinicius Júnior were all outside. But a last-minute win against the Chileans and a convincing performance against the Peruvians will bring relief to the Brazilian coach.

Raphinha scored twice from the penalty spot to give Brazil the lead in Brasilia, the first in the 38th minute and the second in the 54th minute.

Substitute Andreas Pereira let more than 60,000 fans in the National Stadium breathe a sigh of relief when he scored with a volley in the 71st minute. Another substitute, Luiz Henrique, scored for the national team for the second time in a row with a great shot from the edge of the penalty area.

“Those were two games that we controlled well,” said Raphinha. “We are far from perfect, but we are on the right track.”

Chile is in last place

Chile’s defeat against Colombia puts coach Ricardo Gareca’s job at risk. Davinson Sánchez, Luis Díaz, Jhon Durán and Luis Sinistierra scored the goals for Colombia. Chile is in last place in the qualifying group with just five points.

Paraguay beat Venezuela 2-1 and advanced to qualification in the overall ranking. Jon Aramburo opened the scoring for the visitors in the 25th minute, but substitute striker Antonio Sarabia gave the hosts the winner with goals in the 59th and 74th minutes.

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Savarese reported from Sao Paulo

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AP Football: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer