KANSAS CITY, Lionel Messi delivered one of the most remarkable individual performances of his career on Tuesday, scoring his first-ever World Cup hat-trick to power defending champions Argentina to a 3-0 win over Algeria in their Group J opener at Kansas City Stadium. The result pulled Messi level with Germany’s Miroslav Klose as the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history on 16 goals.
Quick Facts
- Final score: Argentina 3, Algeria 0
- Scorer: Lionel Messi (17′, 60′, 76′)
- Venue: Kansas City Stadium (GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium), Kansas City, Missouri
- Attendance: 69,045
- Milestone: First World Cup hat-trick; level with Miroslav Klose on 16 World Cup goals
A Frantic Start Before Messi Took Over
The match burst into life from the opening whistle, with both sides having goals disallowed within the first six minutes. Messi himself had an early effort ruled out for offside before Algeria had a strike chalked off moments later.
Messi broke the deadlock in the 17th minute with a curling strike that beat goalkeeper Luca Zidane, the son of France legend Zinedine Zidane, after collecting a pass from Inter Miami teammate Rodrigo De Paul. It was the only goal of the first half, with Argentina taking a 1-0 lead into the break.
In the second half, Messi doubled Argentina’s advantage in the 60th minute, pouncing on a mistake from Zidane to score from close range. He completed his hat-trick in the 76th minute with a thunderous strike from the edge of the box after a clever pass from Nicolas Gonzalez.
Notably, Messi was fortunate to avoid punishment for a reckless challenge on Algeria’s Aissa Mandi midway through the first half, an incident that could have changed the complexion of the match had it gone differently.
A Night of Records for Messi
Messi’s hat-trick, coming during his 200th appearance for Argentina and just a week before his 39th birthday, produced a remarkable list of milestones:
He became the oldest player in World Cup history to score a hat-trick, at 38 years and 357 days old, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo’s previous record of 33 years and 130 days, set against Spain at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
He also became the oldest player to score multiple goals in a single World Cup match, breaking a record previously held by Cameroon legend Roger Milla since 1990.
His opening goal was his fifth World Cup goal scored from outside the penalty box, matching Brazilian legend Rivellino’s record for the most such goals by any player since 1966.
With 16 career World Cup goals, Messi is now level with Klose, who set the previous record during Germany’s run to the title in 2014. The milestone arrived exactly 20 years after Messi’s first-ever World Cup goal, which came against Serbia and Montenegro in 2006.
With his side still to play Austria and Jordan in the group stage, Messi now has the opportunity to become the outright all-time leading scorer in World Cup history before the tournament’s knockout rounds even begin.
Why This Win Matters for Argentina
The victory carried extra historical significance beyond Messi’s individual feat. It marked the first time Argentina had won their opening match at a World Cup as defending champions, having suffered defeats in both 1982 and 1990, the two previous occasions they entered a tournament as title holders.
Argentina are aiming to become only the third nation in history to successfully defend the World Cup, a feat last achieved by Brazil in 1962.
What’s Next for Argentina and Algeria
Argentina will face Austria at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on June 22 (1:00 PM ET), while Algeria take on Jordan at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, the same day (8:00 PM PT / 11:00 PM ET), as both teams look to continue their campaigns in Group J.
FAQ — Messi’s World Cup Hat-Trick
Did Messi score a hat-trick against Algeria?
Yes. Lionel Messi scored all three of Argentina’s goals in their 3-0 win over Algeria in the 17th, 60th, and 76th minutes.
How many World Cup goals does Messi have now?
Messi now has 16 World Cup goals, level with Miroslav Klose as the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history.
Is Messi the oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick?
Yes. At 38 years and 357 days old, Messi broke Cristiano Ronaldo’s previous record of 33 years and 130 days, set in 2018.
What was the final score of Argentina vs Algeria?
Argentina won 3-0, with all three goals scored by Lionel Messi.
When does Argentina play next in the World Cup?
Argentina will face Austria at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on June 22, 2026.
Sources
- BBC Sport — Messi Hat-Trick Helps Argentina Beat Algeria
- Gulf News — Nobody Has Scored More World Cup Goals Than Messi After Historic Hat-Trick
- Bolavip — Messi Breaks Ronaldo’s Record for Oldest Player With a World Cup Hat-Trick
- World Soccer Talk — Messi Breaks Ronaldo’s Record to Become Oldest Player to Score a World Cup Hat-Trick
