[img featured="1" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIdU7LG-YpxCyqXRyC6RNZFczNc3HcnN6QNrVtpM-NDHtywzMShdrRNIN3bOwSJmT8youVidWHyHkNh3C8Ph8rBBEbi9J50nlIGlKj3vSyzQZmzqOUFNGnahhXTdNykVAFPtKNUlnOPg2n/s1600/Messi.jpg" width="350" height="350" rel="Image_rel" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIdU7LG-YpxCyqXRyC6RNZFczNc3HcnN6QNrVtpM-NDHtywzMShdrRNIN3bOwSJmT8youVidWHyHkNh3C8Ph8rBBEbi9J50nlIGlKj3vSyzQZmzqOUFNGnahhXTdNykVAFPtKNUlnOPg2n/s1600/Messi.jpg"/]
Despite being deemed fit to play by coach Gerardo Martino, Messi was named among the substitutes in Chicago, but the captain came off the bench and took the game by storm to seal Argentina's passage through to the knockout round of the centenary tournament at Soldier Field.
Defender Nicolas Otamendi had given Argentina a seventh-minute lead and after Panama's Anibal Godoy saw red just past the half-hour mark, Messi utilised his team's numerical advantage within eight minutes of his introduction in the 68th minute.
Messi brought the crowd to their feet again 10 minutes later with an exquisite free-kick and he completed his scoring three minutes from time for his 53rd international goal, moving to within three of the all-time record held by Gabriel Batistuta.
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