By Ghazali Ibrahim
Lionel Messi has matched the all-time men’s FIFA World Cup scoring record after netting a hat-trick in Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Algeria in their opening match of the 2026 tournament.
The Argentine captain’s remarkable performance at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City saw him draw level with former Germany striker Miroslav Klose on 16 World Cup goals, the highest tally in the competition’s history.
Messi opened the scoring in the 16th minute with a powerful left-footed effort from outside the penalty area. He added a second goal shortly after the hour mark before completing his first-ever World Cup hat-trick in the 76th minute to seal Argentina’s win and move the defending champions to the top of Group J.
The three goals also lifted Messi above Brazilian legend Ronaldo on the tournament’s all-time scoring chart and erased the advantage briefly held by France forward Kylian Mbappé, who had earlier moved into third place with a goal against Senegal.
Beyond the scoring milestone, Messi set additional records during the match. The 38-year-old became the first player in football history to feature in six FIFA World Cup tournaments and marked his 200th international appearance for Argentina.
His hat-trick also made him the oldest player ever to score three goals in a World Cup match.
Argentina will return to action on June 22 against Austria in Dallas, where Messi will have the opportunity to surpass Klose and become the outright leading scorer in World Cup history.
