Football

Messi, Suarez create CONMEBOL history

The Barcelona forwards are now the joint highest goal-scorers in the South American World Cup qualifiers with 21 goals each.

Team Sportstar Team Sportstar
11 October, 2017 13:12 IST

Suarez (L) and Messi are teammates at Spanish football club Barcelona.   -  AP

Team Sportstar Team Sportstar
11 October, 2017 13:12 IST

Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez became the first players to breach the 20-goal mark in CONMEBOL qualifiers history when they helped Argentina and Uruguay achieve World Cup qualification on Tuesday.

The Barcelona forwards are now the joint highest goal-scorers in the South American World Cup qualifiers with 21 goals each.

The pair needed to fire on the night to ensure their teams booked their seats for the finals in Russia next year. In the process of their exploits, they overtook former Argentina striker Hernan Crespo's tally of 19 goals.

 

While Messi scored a hat-trick - his first in World Cup qualifying - in the Albiceleste's 3-1 come from behind win over Ecuador, Suarez scored a brace in his team's 4-2 win against Bolivia.

                                                      Final CONMEBOL standings

PositionTeamsGDPoints
1Brazil+3041
2Uruguay+1231
3Argentina+328
4Colombia+227
5Peru+126
6Chile-126
7Paraguay-624
8Ecuador-320
9Bolivia-2214
10Venezuela-1612

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