The captain delivered another memorable performance to help Lionel Scaloni's side remain unbeaten in 2026 World Cup qualifying.
Was there anything else that could have happened? Could Lionel Messi actually disappear for a month?
He Argentine hasn't been in great shape - or totally fit - in recent weeks, but he's also not slowing down.
On Tuesday night, he demonstrated this by scoring twice as Argentina cruised to a 2-0 win against Peru in World Cup qualification.
The warning indicators were there from the start. In the first few minutes, the Argentine went on a classic mazy move, and Messi curled a free-kick.
After the halftime, he almost had a third, but a tap-in was rightfully ruled out after a VAR review.
Peru battled for a comeback and had some offensive periods, but a tenacious Argentina defense comfortably held on to the lead to cap off a fantastic night for Lionel Scaloni's team.
I chose a side similar to the one that started the final in Qatar last winter, and everything went swimmingly.