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GOLDEN PERFORMANCE It took Lionel Messi a grand total of 43 minutes to announce his arrival on the Olympic stage in 2008 and commence what would be a glorious and golden summer in Beijing. Messi struck just before halftime in the opening match against Ivory Coast, registering Argentina’s first goal of the Olympic tournament. The Argentines would power through group play undefeated. In the quarterfinals against the Netherlands, Messi was at his brilliant best, scoring in the match’s 14th minute after accelerating past a pair of Dutch defenders and then setting up the game-winner with a nifty pass in extra time for a 2–1 win. After blanking rival Brazil 3–0 in the semifinals, Argentina faced Nigeria for gold in the punishing heat at the National Stadium in Shanghai. With the stakes high, and the world watching, Messi assisted on the match’s lone goal to help secure a gold medal for Argentina in what would be his only appearance in the Olympic Games.

Lionel Messi led Argentina to the gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics, defeating Nigeria 1–0 in the title match in Beijing, China.

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