Lionel Messi scored his first goal of 2024 against Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia. Messi scored from the penalty spot after Mohammed Jahfali was sent off.
The Argentine had started negatively, with a draw and a defeat in friendlies with Inter Miami. La Pulga needed 161 minutes on the field of play to score his first goals of the year. The goal started a partial comeback of the United States team against the Saudi side. The match took place in the Riyadh Season Cup, with the winner going to the World Cup.