KANSAS CITY, USA – Lionel Messi etched his name further into World Cup history after scoring a hat-trick to lead Argentina to a 3-0 victory over Algeria in a Group J match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup early Wednesday.
The match, played at Arrowhead Stadium in the United States, saw the defending world champions secure a comfortable win thanks to an outstanding performance from their captain.
Messi opened the scoring in the 17th minute after receiving a pass from Rodrigo De Paul. The Argentine star doubled the lead in the 60th minute before completing his hat-trick in the 76th minute with an assist from Nico González.
The three goals took Messi’s World Cup tally to 16, making him the joint-highest scorer in the tournament’s history alongside former German striker Miroslav Klose.
At 38 years and 357 days old, Messi also became the oldest player ever to score a hat-trick in a FIFA World Cup match, surpassing the previous record set by Cristiano Ronaldo in 2018.
The Argentine captain added another milestone to his illustrious career by matching Cristiano Ronaldo’s achievement of scoring in five different World Cup tournaments.
The match marked Messi’s 200th appearance for Argentina’s national team. It was also the first World Cup hat-trick of his career, adding to a long list of records he already holds for his country.
In another Group I match played earlier, Norway defeated Iraq 4-1, with Erling Haaland scoring twice to help his side secure all three points.
Argentina’s victory strengthens its position in Group J as the reigning champions continue their pursuit of another World Cup title.
