Argentina saviour Lionel Messi has said it would have been "crazy" for the national team not to have made the 2018 FIFA World Cup after his hat-trick helped them beat Ecuador 3-1 and qualify for the finals on Tuesday evening. 

La Albiceleste were on the brink of failing to make next year's World Cup in Russia, which would have been their first time missing a tournament finals since 1970. Messi spoke to the media after his team's third away win of the qualification campaign and said:

"There was always the fear of coming here to play. Luckily, we could react and we managed to play well.

"We were calm, we achieved the goal and that is the most important thing. Thanks to God, we fulfilled the objective.

"It would have been crazy not to be in the World Cup. The group deserved to qualify."

Jorge Sampaoli's side entered the final day of CONMEBOL games outside of the qualification spots and needing a positive result to stand a chance of advancing, and Messi delivered when it mattered most.

Argentina fell behind in Ecuador after only 38 seconds, but the heroics of Barcelona superstar Messi saw them leading 2-1 after 18 minutes, and the player completed his hat-trick in the second half, via Goal:

Head coach Sampaoli will take the national team to the World Cup for the first time, and he hopes he can go one better than the runner-up finish managed by predecessor Alejandro Sabella in 2014.

Dominic King of the Daily Mail reflected upon the unique skill set Barca's devastating maestro boasts: 

Not long after FIFA President Gianni Infantino told Argentinian newspaper La Nacion (h/t Goal's Chris Burton) Messi must win a World Cup before being dubbed one of the greatest of all time, the player responded in ideal manner.

Football blogger Tim Stillman put into further context just how unrealistic it might have been for Argentina to ponder qualification without Messi, so vital is he to the national team cause, the sign of a true great:

In Argentina’s final 8 qualifiers, they only had 2 goal scorers:

Messi
Own goal.

— Tim Stillman (@Stillberto) October 11, 2017

Messi is 30 years of age and will be 35 by the time the 2022 World Cup in Qatar comes around, meaning this may be his last chance to add the most elusive of titles to his trophy cabinet.

Argentina owe their talisman a courageous campaign in Russia next year at the very least, and after pulling them in by the skin of their teeth, Messi will be looking to make the most of what could be his last World Cup chance.