Messi Hat-Trick Ties World Cup Record in Argentina Victory
Lionel Messi delivered a historic performance on Tuesday night, scoring a hat-trick in his 200th international appearance to lead defending champions Argentina to a 3-0 victory over Algeria in their 2026 World Cup opener at Kansas City Stadium. The 38-year-old’s treble moved him level with Germany’s Miroslav Klose on 16 goals as the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history.
A Night of Records
Messi became the first male player to appear at six World Cups, surpassing a milestone that only Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo can match when he takes the pitch later this week. The Argentina captain’s hat-trick — his first at a World Cup — also made him the oldest player to score three goals in a match at the tournament, eclipsing Ronaldo’s mark set in 2018.
According to BBC Sport, the performance came exactly 20 years after Messi’s World Cup debut as a substitute against Serbia and Montenegro in 2006, where he scored his first goal on the global stage.
The Match Unfolds
Argentina nearly opened the scoring inside five minutes when Messi slotted home from close range, but the goal was correctly ruled out for offside. Algeria had a goal of their own disallowed moments later when Farès Chaïbi was flagged offside.
Messi made no mistake in the 17th minute. Collecting a pass from Inter Miami teammate Rodrigo De Paul 40 yards from goal, he drove forward and unleashed a curling left-footed strike that beat Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane — son of French legend Zinedine Zidane — at his near post.
The Guardian reported that Messi was fortunate to escape punishment in the first half after raking his cleats across the calf of Algeria captain Aissa Mandi in a challenge that “likely deserved a yellow, and potentially even a red.”
Second-Half Brilliance
Argentina doubled their lead in the 60th minute when Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister saw his speculative 30-yard effort pushed away by Zidane directly into the path of Messi, who calmly slotted home the rebound from close range. The goal moved Messi past Kylian Mbappé — who had scored twice earlier in the day for France against Senegal — and past Brazilian legend Ronaldo on the all-time World Cup scoring list.
Messi completed his hat-trick in the 76th minute with a trademark finish, drilling a low strike from the edge of the area past Zidane after a lay-off from Nicolás González. The goal tied him with Klose at the summit of World Cup goalscoring history.
He was substituted off in the 79th minute to a standing ovation, replaced by Nico Paz.
Global Reaction
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni told FIFA.com: “I don’t have the words to describe Messi. For 20 years, he’s had us used to seeing things like this, and he inspires everyone who watches him play.”
Midfielder Enzo Fernández simply called him “the GOAT,” while Rodrigo De Paul told The Athletic: “What makes me happiest is that he’s enjoying it, he’s not carrying this weight he carried for so long.”
Algeria captain Aissa Mandi was gracious in defeat: “What made the difference is that they have a player who is ruthless — almost every chance he gets ends up in the back of the net. He might be the best player of all time.”
What It Means
Argentina’s victory marks the first time they have won their opening match as defending champions since their 1978 title, having lost openers in 1982 and 1990. The result also avoids a repeat of their 2022 campaign, where they suffered a shock defeat to Saudi Arabia before going on to win the tournament.
As Al Jazeera noted, Argentina are seeking to become only the third nation to successfully defend the World Cup, after Italy (1934/1938) and Brazil (1958/1962).
What’s Next
Messi needs just one more goal to break Klose’s record outright. Argentina’s next match is against Austria on June 22 at the Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Algeria, meanwhile, face a must-win encounter against Jordan on June 23 to keep their knockout stage hopes alive.
With Messi in this form, the defending champions look every bit the contender for a fourth World Cup title.