Lionel Messi scored his first-ever World Cup hat-trick as Argentina defeated Algeria 3-0 in their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Kansas City. The Argentine captain reached 16 World Cup goals to become the tournament's all-time leading scorer, rewriting several records in the process.
Records Broken by Messi
1. World Cup's All-Time Leading Scorer
The hat-trick took Messi's tally to 16 goals, moving past Ronaldo Nazario (15), Thomas Muller (14), and Kylian Mbappe (14), while equalling Miroslav Klose's long-standing mark.
2. Oldest Player to Score a World Cup Hat-Trick
At 38 years and 357 days, Messi surpassed Cristiano Ronaldo's previous record of 33 years and 130 days.
3. Most Long-Range Goals in World Cup History
Two of his strikes came from outside the box, giving him six long-range goals, overtaking Brazilian Roberto Rivellino's five.
4. First Player to Feature in Six World Cups
The Algeria clash marked Messi's sixth World Cup appearance, a feat no player had achieved before.
5. Argentina's Oldest World Cup Goalscorer
His three goals made him the oldest Argentine to score in World Cup history.
6. Exclusive Club of Reigning Champions
Messi became only the second player to score a hat-trick as a defending champion, after Kylian Mbappe in the 2022 final.
7. Most World Cup Goal Involvements
With 24 goal contributions (goals and assists), Messi holds the all-time record.
8. Most World Cup Matches Scored In
The Algeria game became the 12th different World Cup match in which Messi found the net, another record.
9. Most Nations Scored Against
His hat-trick increased the number of countries he has scored against to 11, ahead of legends like Klinsmann and Ronaldo.
10. Most Prolific Player Against African Opposition
Messi's six goals against African nations surpassed Oleg Salenko's five.
Beyond these records, Messi also became the third footballer to reach 200 international appearances, with 120 goals and 61 assists for Argentina. His personal honours include 16 Argentina Footballer of the Year awards and two World Cup Golden Balls. Manchester City striker Erling Haaland joined millions in celebrating Messi's performance, calling him extraordinary on Snapchat.
