Lionel Messi answered every question about his fitness, his age, and his ability to lead Argentina toward a third consecutive World Cup the only way he knows how — with a hat trick. Argentina defeated Algeria 3-0 in their tournament opener, and Messi’s three goals moved him into a tie with Germany’s Miroslav Klose for the all-time men’s World Cup scoring record, days before he turns 39.
The opening goal arrived in the first minutes off a clever feed from Inter Miami teammate Rodrigo De Paul, and it visibly overwhelmed Messi emotionally. He wiped tears from his eyes with his jersey immediately afterward. “My tears after the first goal? I’ve had some tough days. It wasn’t related to football. And those feelings were because of that,” he said afterward, without elaborating further. “I thank my teammates, the coaching staff and the delegation for helping me.”
He was not finished. A second goal came off an opportunistic rebound early in the second half, and the third arrived on a crisp strike moments before he was substituted off to a standing ovation from a crowd of 69,045 — a stadium tilted heavily in favour of the three-time World Cup champions. “At a loss for words about Leo. What can I say?” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said. “He’s incredible.”
Two Decades of World Cup History
The timing carried symbolic weight that nobody missed. The hat trick came exactly 20 years to the day after Messi made his World Cup debut against Serbia and Montenegro — a match in which he also scored. He is now only the second player in history to score in five different editions of the men’s World Cup. His tally of 16 goals across a record six World Cup appearances means Klose’s record is almost certain to fall in the coming weeks as Argentina continues its tournament run.
The hat trick was the 61st of Messi’s career, his 11th while wearing Argentina’s colours, and his first ever at a World Cup. It also extended his personal streak to five consecutive World Cup matches with at least one goal. “It makes me very happy to have lived through everything that came my way. What I’m living through now is the cherry on top,” Messi said. “I’m very happy and grateful for this wonderful group. I enjoy it so much.”
Messi’s performance overshadowed two of football’s other biggest stars on the same day. Kylian Mbappé scored twice in France’s 3-1 win over Senegal, moving into a tie for fourth on the all-time World Cup scoring list with 14 goals. Erling Haaland scored twice for Norway in a 4-1 victory over Iraq — and still found time to post on social media during Argentina’s match: “Messi is a madman.”
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Shaking Off Injury Concerns to Deliver
Messi had entered the tournament dealing with a minor hamstring injury sustained with Inter Miami, which had limited his training in the lead-up. A tune-up match against Iceland the previous week, in which he scored a penalty during a sharp 20-minute appearance, eased some of those concerns. Saturday’s performance eliminated them entirely.
“This is my sixth World Cup, and I still feel like I’m in good shape,” Messi said. “Fortunately, I’m doing well, and today we managed to win a tough match. It’s important to start the tournament with a victory in the first game, as that’s never easy in a World Cup.” The match also marked the 200th international appearance of Messi’s career, which began in 2005 at age 18. Only Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays his 229th international match on Wednesday, and Kuwait’s Bader al-Mutawa, with 202 caps, have more international appearances. Messi and Ronaldo remain the only men to have scored in five different World Cups.
Algeria coach Vladimir Petkovic offered a candid assessment of facing him. “Class is permanent,” Petkovic said. “He’s fortunate to have the privilege that the entire Argentina team works for him, and supports him, and for a number of years now — decades — he’s done incredible things.”
Messi-Mania Sweeps Kansas City
Argentina has based its World Cup camp in the Kansas City metro area, and the region has been swept up in Messi fever since the team’s arrival roughly two weeks ago. Thousands of fans wearing his number 10 jersey filled the home stadium of the NFL’s Chiefs on match day, singing tributes throughout. At a downtown watch party, a goat accompanied by former NFL quarterback turned broadcaster Jameis Winston walked onto the stage wearing an Argentina jersey — a cheeky nod to Messi’s GOAT status that, in hindsight, foreshadowed exactly the kind of night that followed.
“It’s an advantage to have Leo because of how he handles the group and pushes it forward. Because of who he is,” De Paul said. “He doesn’t care about individual records. He prioritizes the group, and for us it’s incredible.” With every match Messi plays, the case for him as football’s greatest of all time becomes harder to argue against.
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