Lionel Messi was in tears after scoring his first World Cup hat-trick as Argentina beat Algeria 3-0 in their 2026 World Cup opener – a performance that saw the 38-year-old equal the all-time scoring record and become the first player to feature at six tournaments.
Messi curled a superb 25-yard strike past Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane in the 18th minute, having earlier had a goal ruled out for offside. The strike brought his World Cup tally to 16, matching Miroslav Klose's record, and sparked an emotional celebration. "To enjoy this with my family, with my team-mates, the ones who are always there, is a really beautiful moment," Messi said afterwards. "Everything I'm experiencing now is a bonus. I've been fortunate enough to achieve all my dreams — or even more than I ever dreamed of achieving."
“Messi scores hat-trick, equals World Cup scoring record, and becomes first to play at six tournaments as Argentina beat Algeria 3-0.”
Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni added: "I don't have the words to describe Messi. For 20 years, he's had us used to seeing things like this."
The win came on the same day that France's Kylian Mbappe and Norway's Erling Haaland both scored braces. Mbappe helped France to a 3-1 victory over Senegal, while Haaland's double powered Norway to a 4-1 win against Iraq. Haaland later issued a reply to Messi's hat-trick, though his exact words were not disclosed in the reports.
Elsewhere, England were dealt an injury blow with defender Tino Livramento withdrawing from Thomas Tuchel's squad due to a calf injury. He has been replaced by Chelsea's Trevoh Chalobah. Meanwhile, Portugal's preparations for their opener were disrupted by security concerns near their Palm Beach hotel. Cristiano Ronaldo and his team-mates had planned to use a private beach but were forced to change plans after causing a stir near a public bathing area.