It is not a good season for Beijing's strollers. Those hoping to savor a soothing saunter down the city's lakeside promenade are left sapped and languid. A punishing summer heatwave is scorching the Chinese capital, with some spots forecast to peak above 38 degrees Celsius starting from Thursday.

However, as the sun blazed overhead, Lin Xue's passion remained defiantly undimmed. The perky undergraduate, who came all the way from the coastal city of Shenzhen, was among thousands of Lionel Messi fans across China who were hovering outside the ritzy Workers' Stadium more than three hours before kick-off to see Argentina lock horns with Australia in an eagerly awaited friendly.

"You can't nitpick about the weather on a match day," enthused Lin as she was deftly slathering a generous blob of sunscreen on her exposed skin. "This is an opportunity that comes but once in a blue moon, and I shall not be absent from it, be it rain or shine."

Lin has ample reason to believe she has to be here, to revel in a momentous occasion. The showdown with the Socceroos marked La Albiceleste's first game overseas since lifting the World Cup in December, and it was also Messi's first outing after the seven-time Balon d'Or winner declared he is taking his talents to South Beach in an astonishing transfer twist.

"Who wouldn't want to watch the greatest player in football history live in action?" gushed another fan named Sun, who was decked out in Argentine gear from head to toe. "Messi didn't need the World Cup to settle the GOAT debate, but I'm thrilled he won the only trophy that had eluded him... I hate to say it, but Messi is 35 years old, so the opportunities to see him play in the future are only going to decrease."

Die-hards like Lin and Sun would give anything to see their legendary hero in real life, but it proved to be a costly slog to get their dream fulfilled. Tickets for the match on Thursday night cost a minimum 580 yuan ($80) and went as high at 4800 yuan ($662). 

"Compared to the agony of trying to snatch tickets, the sweltering heat is nothing," said Sun as he wearily wiped the sweat off his forehead. "I thought the tickets would not be in such high demand, given their exorbitant price, but I underestimated the fans' enthusiasm. The ticketing app had crashed multiple times. It took tremendous effort and a great stroke of luck for me to secure a ticket before they were sold out."

Inside the stadium, a palpable anticipation hung in the air. Rarely does one individual transcend a match with such feverish regularity. Replica shirts and memorabilia bearing Messi's name have been flying off the shelves at official merchandise shops.

"I just really hope Messi gets a little percentage of the shirt sales," joked Australia coach Graham Arnold during his pre-match press conference. "I've never seen so many Argentine number 10 shirts in my life!"

Along the sidelines, cameras whirred as reporters, photographers and vloggers jostled to capture their own footage of the moment Messi sprinkled his stardust.

On the stands, the ambiance became increasingly electric as the night went on. There were booming cheers when Messi's name was announced in the starting line-up. There were huge roars when he finally stepped out to warm up. There was a deafening noise when Chinese referee Ma Ning blew the whistle to start the Messi show.

And there was still more to come. With just 80 seconds down on the clock, Mathew Leckie's inexplicable slip allowed Enzo Fernandez to maraud forward and laid the ball off to Messi, who sidestepped two defenders with stunning ease before curling a trademark left-footed effort into the far corner.

According to stats provider Gracenote, Messi has now scored in every minute of a game, except for the opening minute. It was also the fastest goal the mercurial Argentine has ever scored. "I enjoy being with the national team," Messi said afterwards. "I'm very grateful to all the football fans in China for their continuous support."

The atmosphere immediately crackled after the early breakthrough, incredulity mixing with ecstasy. Even if Messi moves towards the autumn of his career, the veteran has lost neither his supreme ball mastery nor his instincts for a goal. The crowd of more than 50,000 adoring aficionados craning to track Messi's every crafty move, the jubilation at cheering his name seemingly inexhaustible.

To their credit, Australia pulled out all the stops to ensure those rapturous attendees sporting Argentina colors watched a competitive match, not a sterile one-sided affair. Nevertheless, with Messi at the helm, the world champions outclassed their opponents with a brutal display of dominance. Argentina eventually made their relentless pressure count in the 68th minute when Messi combined with Rodrigo de Paul, whose inviting cross from the left was headed home by German Pezzella. 

While the long season has obviously taken a toll on Messi, who was caught ambling leisurely around the pitch particularly at the late stage of the game, the diminutive maestro still managed to treat the fans to a collection of otherworldly flicks and a breathtaking solo run that saw him slalom his way past hapless defenders.

Roared on by the partisan crowd, Messi and Co threatened a third but eventually settled for a comfortable 2-0 win. Long after the final whistle, some of the incredulous fans were still rubbing their eyes in disbelief that Messi had played in front of their very eyes.

"I'm absolutely thrilled! I can't believe I'm here," beamed Xu Xiaotong. "I'm exhausted and overheated, and it feels like I'm suffocating. I've been running a fever recently, and it only started to ease up a bit yesterday. But I was determined to make it to the stadium to see Messi, even if I had to crawl there."

"In the end, not only did I see my idol for the first time in my life, but I also witnessed his spectacular goal," she added as her eyes lit up. "It was all worth it!"

Five years on from his last appearance in China, the wholeheartedness of the welcome for Messi was almost overwhelming. Midway through the match, a fleet-footed teenager wearing a Messi jersey scampered across the pitch and dodged several security guards before briefly hugging the Argentina captain.

While this pitch-intruder's behavior is certainly not exemplary, he has nonetheless become the object of envy for millions of fans around the world. That is the charisma Messi oozes, the genius he radiates, the virtuosity of his greatness. And it is that, more than anything he achieves on and off the pitch, that Argentina supporters would forever hold dear to their hearts.