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Argentina booked her place in the Russia 2018 World Cup last night through a Lionel Messi hat-trick against Ecuador at the Estadio Olimpico Atahualpa in Quito, Ecuador.
Argentina, who won the World Cup twice in 1978 and 1986, was close to missing out of the 2018 World Cup after starting the match in sixth place in the South American qualifying group.
Argentina needed to win the match to make it to Russia.
The host country gave Argentina a scare by scoring after just 38 seconds when midfielder Romario Iborra found the net.
But Argentine skipper, Messi, took matters up by himself, equalising in the 12th minute, scoring again in the 20th minute and sxoring the third in the 62nd minute.
Argentina, with 28 points from their qualifying games, will now join Brazil who finished top with 41 points, followed by Uruguay (31) and Colombia (27).
Peru, the last South American nation that needs qualification, finished 5th with 26 points. They will face New Zealand in a November play-off.