FIFA World Cup: Lionel Messi's hat-trick powers Argentina against Algeria
What's the story
Lionel Messi made history by scoring a hat-trick in Argentina's opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Algeria. The match, held in Kansas City, ended with a resounding 3-0 victory for the defending champions. This was Messi's first-ever hat-trick at the World Cup and his 16th goal in the tournament, which helped him equal Miroslav Klose's all-time record.
Milestone match
Historic match for Messi
Messi registered his 200th international cap and sixth World Cup appearance. He is the first player in history to achieve such a feat. The goals were brilliant, with the first coming in the 17th minute. Messi received the ball from Rodrigo De Paul and followed it up with a left-footed shot. The second goal came from a rebound in the 60th minute. His final came in the 76th minute after a bout of passes with Nicolas Gonzalez.
Landmarks
Messi reaches these landmarks
As mentioned, Messi scored his 16th goal in the FIFA World Cup, which helped him equal Klose's all-time record. The former earlier surpassed Brazil's Ronaldo, who is second with 15 goals. Messi's hat-trick not only helped Argentina secure a comfortable win but also saw him surpass Brazilian legend Pele for the all-time record of World Cup goal contributions. This was his 24th contribution in total, including assists.
Records
Other records set by Messi
As per Opta, Messi is the oldest player to score two-plus goals in FIFA World Cup matches, at 38 years and 357 days. He surpassed Roger Milla (38y 34d in 1990). He also became the first Argentine player to score in five consecutive World Cup matches, eclipsing Hernan Crespo and Guillermo Stabile (4 each). Overall, Messi became the second player to score in five different World Cup editions, joining Cristiano Ronaldo.