Lionel Messi scored his first World Cup hat-trick as Argentina beat Algeria 3-0 in Kansas City, equalling Miroslav Klose’s record of 16 goals and becoming the first man to appear at six World Cups. The 38-year-old, making his 200th international appearance, beat rival Cristiano Ronaldo to the milestone by a day.
His opening goal came from 25 yards, curling a left-footed shot into the top-right corner past goalkeeper Luca Zidane, son of France legend Zinedine Zidane. A disallowed goal four minutes in—ruled out for offside—had already hinted at his threat. After the match, Messi said: “To enjoy this with my family, with my team-mates, the ones who are always there, is a really beautiful moment. Everything I’m experiencing now is a bonus.”
“Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick as Argentina beat Algeria, equalling the World Cup goals record and leading the Golden Boot race.”
A moment of controversy arrived just past the half-hour mark when Messi’s studs caught the heel of Algeria’s Aissa Mandi, but no action was taken. He later added two more goals to complete his treble, moving joint-top of the World Cup scoring charts.
The performance came hours after Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland had each scored twice on the same matchday, yet Messi still stole the show. Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni said: “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.”
With the win, Messi now leads the Golden Boot race ahead of Mbappe and Haaland, as Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Kane prepare to respond. “The squad, it’s a very united, very strong group,” Messi added. “I feel good; we were lucky enough to win a tough match. It’s important to start off with a win in the first game.”