Welcome

Messi Equals World Cup Goals Record After Hat-Trick Against Algeria

Written by

Promise Odejide

in

Lionel Messi equalled the men’s World Cup goals record after scoring a hat-trick in Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Algeria in their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Argentine captain’s historic performance in Kansas City saw him draw level with former Germany striker Miroslav Klose on 16 World Cup goals, helping the defending champions move to the top of Group J.

Messi Reaches Historic Milestone

Messi opened the scoring in the 16th minute with a powerful left-footed strike from outside the penalty area.

The 38-year-old added his second goal shortly after the hour mark before completing his hat-trick in the 76th minute to match Klose’s long-standing record.

The three-goal display also moved him ahead of Brazilian legend Ronaldo on the all-time World Cup scoring chart.

More Records for Argentina Captain

The match added another chapter to Messi’s remarkable international career.

By featuring against Algeria, he became the first player in football history to appear in six different World Cup tournaments.

The game was also his 200th appearance for Argentina, while his hat-trick made him the oldest player ever to score three goals in a World Cup match.

Race for World Cup Scoring Record Intensifies

Earlier in the day, France forward Kylian MbappΓ© had moved into third place on the World Cup scoring list after finding the net against Senegal.

However, Messi’s three goals later in the day saw him leapfrog his rivals and move alongside Klose at the top of the standings.

Argentina will now turn their attention to their next Group J fixture against Austria in Dallas on June 22, where Messi will have the opportunity to become the outright leading scorer in men’s World Cup history.

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More posts