Erling Haaland scored twice as Norway thrashed Iraq 4-1 in their World Cup 2026 opener – but the Manchester City striker’s brace was soon overshadowed by a Lionel Messi hat-trick that prompted a four-word verdict on social media.
“Messi is a madman,” Haaland wrote on Snapchat alongside a picture of himself, adding a crown emoji. The 38-year-old Argentina captain scored all three goals in a dominant win over Algeria, becoming the tournament’s joint all-time top scorer alongside Miroslav Klose on 16 goals, and claiming his first World Cup hat-trick.
“Haaland scores twice for Norway, then calls Messi a 'madman' after Argentina legend scores hat-trick in World Cup 2026.”
Messi, visibly emotional after his first goal, said: “I cried after the first goal … but it was something completely unrelated to football. I went through some difficult days, but I’m grateful to the entire delegation and my teammates because they were always by my side.” He added: “This is my 6th World Cup, and I still feel like I’m in good shape.”
Earlier in the day, Haaland and Kylian Mbappe had both scored twice for their respective nations. Mbappe starred as France, the beaten 2022 finalists, began their campaign with a 3-1 win over Senegal. Germany’s Thomas Muller also reacted to Messi’s display, posting on Instagram: “This guy … [goat emoji].”
Folarin Balogun and Kai Havertz joined Mbappe and Haaland on two goals for the tournament, but Messi now leads the golden boot standings. Argentina have all but secured qualification to the knockout stages; topping Group J would set up a meeting with the runner-up of Group C, with Morocco their most likely opponents after drawing with Brazil.
England, yet to kick off, face Croatia in their Group L opener on Thursday, before taking on Ghana and Panama. With Haaland, Mbappe and Messi already lighting up the tournament, the pressure is on Thomas Tuchel’s side to deliver a statement of their own.