Lionel Messi set two new marks in a 2-0 win in a friendly against Australia on Thursday night, scoring the fastest goal of his career.
The Argentina ace needed just 81 seconds to get on the scoresheet against the Socceroos, scoring in his seventh straight game for his country – which was also a personal record.
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner curled in from the edge of the area following a turnover by the Socceroos.
Messi has now scored in every minute of a game at some point of his career, except for the opening minute.
In front of a crowd of more than 50,000 adoring fans, Messi nearly notched a rapid second but lashed into the side netting from a tight angle.
Australia weathered the early storm and nearly equalised when attacker Mitchell Duke forced Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez to tip a close-range shot onto the post.
Messi and fellow Argentina veteran Angel di Maria both drew saves from Australia stopper Mat Ryan at the start of the second half.
And the world champions eventually made their pressure count when German Pezzella headed in a cross to make it 2-0 in the 68th minute.
But even Messi’s goal paled in comparison to this exhibition of sublime skill as he danced his way through an embarrassed Socceroos midfield in the 79th minute.
England football great Gary Lineker described the dribbling as “filth”.
Messi is idolised in football-mad China, whose underperforming national team and struggling domestic league are chronic sources of disappointment.
Midway through the second half, a young-looking fan wearing an Argentina shirt invaded the pitch and briefly embraced Messi before being hauled away by security guards.
Thousands greeted the Argentina captain’s every touch with roars of anticipation that built to a crescendo when he put his team into their quick-fire lead.
Messi mania had gripped a sweltering Beijing for the sell-out friendly match in the Chinese capital.
All eyes were on Messi, arguably the greatest footballer of all time, who lifted the World Cup for the Albiceleste in December.
Thousands of Chinese fans braved temperatures of nearly 40C, gathering at Beijing’s newly renovated Workers’ Stadium several hours before the 8pm kick-off.
Many came clad in replica Argentina shirts emblazoned with Messi’s name and number 10, while others had daubed their faces with sky-blue and white paint or were excitedly clasping flags.
Security guards corralled hundreds of fans behind barriers outside the western gate to the ground, where the Argentina team coach was due to enter.
Forty-year-old lawyer Zhong Xiaoqing from eastern China’s Zhejiang province told AFP that Messi was his “perfect idol”.
“Messi is the greatest player of all time,” he said. “I was completely enamoured the first time I saw him play in 2005.
“He’s a model for me — my perfect idol.”
For 29-year-old HR worker Sun Bingxin from northern Shanxi province, the excitement had been overwhelming.
“I’ve been so pent up about it that I feel like I could cry with joy,” she told AFP before kick-off.
“Every football fan in China has wanted to be here tonight, so it’ll be a spectacular occasion.” Liu Rui, a 24-year-old student from Nanjing in eastern Jiangsu province, said being at the match was “really a dream come true”.
“In 40 years’ time, I can tell my grandchildren about this,” he told AFP.
Hundreds of flag-waving fans had been camped outside the team’s luxury hotel ever since they touched down on Saturday.
Crowds have lined heavily guarded streets hoping to catch a glimpse of the 35-year-old each time the team goes for training.
The man himself has kept a low profile, but that has done little to dampen enthusiasm.
One daring fan recounted his tale of spending the night inside the Four Seasons hotel in a bid to get a close encounter with Messi and his teammates.
“I first hid in the janitor’s closet, then went up to the team’s floor through the fire escape staircase,” the man, surnamed Lin, told AFP.
He was questioned by hotel security before being released.
Another fan, Li Weihua, said he had flown from his home city of Shenzhen in southern China, heading straight to the hotel.
He did not even have a ticket for the match at the 68,000-capacity Workers’ Stadium, which had quickly sold out.
“I just want to feel the environment,” said the 29-year-old, who had never been to Beijing before.
Huang Yongming, 17, from the northeastern city of Changchun, was more successful in getting a highly coveted ticket.
“I spent around 3000 yuan ($615) for a ticket,” Huang told AFP. “I know it’s expensive, but I thought that if I didn’t take the opportunity, I would regret it.”
Messi is set to join Inter Miami this summer, after two years at Paris Saint-Germain.
Thursday’s match was a re-run of the last-16 clash between Argentina and Australia at last year’s World Cup in Qatar.
On that occasion, Messi scored a goal and tormented the Socceroos’ defence as the Albiceleste won 2-1.
Argentina went on to win the World Cup for the first time in 36 years. The South Americans will round off their Asian tour on Monday when they play another friendly against Indonesia in Jakarta.
– with AFP