Lionel Messi has scored his 79th international career goal for Argentina, surpassing the South American men's record held by Brazil legend Pele.
Messi scored a hat trick against Bolivia on Thursday in a World Cup qualifying match at the Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, giving him two more over Pele, who had 77 career goals in international play.
Messi trails Brazilian duo Marta (109) and Cristiane (96) for the overall record for most goals scored by any South American player at the international level.
Third on the men's list is Messi's Paris Saint-Germain teammate Neymar, who has 68 international goals for Brazil.