In what was the nation's first international fixture since November last year as a result of ongoing coronavirus concerns, Messi netted from the penalty spot as Argentina claimed a 1-1 draw against rivals Chile in their South American World Cup qualifier on Thursday.
The FC Barcelona superstar's 24th-minute opener was cancelled out by former club teammate Alexis Sanchez 12 minutes later, before Chile goalkeeper Claudio Bravo and the woodwork managed to keep Messi co. at bay in the dying minutes of the encounter.
Despite dropping points, Argentina remains well-placed to qualify for next year's showpiece tournament with 11 points from their opening five matches, and the six-time Ballon d'Or winner was pleased with his nation's performance.
"It had been a long time that we weren't together," Messi said, per Mundo Albiceleste. "It's not easy coming back but I think at times we played a good game.
"I'm happy about the result, beyond the fact that we couldn't win. Little by little, we have to get stronger again."
Elsewhere, Uruguay played out a 0-0 draw against Paraguay, Bolivia beat Venezuela 3-1, and goals from Yerry Mina, Mateus Uribe and Luis Diaz earned Colombia a comprehensive 3-0 win over Peru in a match that ended with both sides short a man.
The next round of World Cup qualifiers is set to take place next week Tuesday before the continent's leading nations break away to compete in the 2021 Copa America, which is scheduled to commence on 11 June.
