Lionel Messi scores first half HAT-TRICK in Maxi Rodriguez's farewell game in his Rosario hometown - and the packed stadium even sings him Happy Birthday!

Lionel Messi is back in his hometown Rosario and the whole stadium sang happy birthday.

Lionel Messi scored a first half hat-trick in a hometown appearance for an exhibition game paying tribute to his Argentina teammate Maxi Rodriguez.

And the Inter Miami-bound star showed exactly why he is so revered in Argentina with a magnificent display for the 42,000 fans in attendance - he scored a first half hat-trick in the game that saw an Argentina team play club side Newell's Old Boys.

The crowd even sang Messi 'happy birthday' and the superstar said after the game that it felt special to spend a birthday in Rosario, the city where he lived as a child before joining Barcelona's soccer academy in his teenage years.

Messi's first goal was after only four minutes, when he whipped a stunning left-footed free kick into the top corner.