Wednesday, June 17th 2026 - 08:19 UTC
With his three goals, Messi reached 16 in World Cups, tying Germany's Miroslav Klose as the competition's all-time top scorer
Argentina began their defense of the World Cup title won in Qatar 2022 on Tuesday with a 3-0 thrashing of Algeria, in the Group J opener of the 2026 World Cup, played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Captain Lionel Messi guided Lionel Scaloni's side with a hat-trick that left him atop the tournament's all-time scoring history.
With his three goals, Messi reached 16 in World Cups, tying Germany's Miroslav Klose as the competition's all-time top scorer. It was also his first hat-trick in World Cups, in his 200th appearance for the national team, and he became the first footballer to play in six editions of the tournament. At almost 39, the forward also surpassed Pelé as the all-time leader in goal contributions at the tournament.
The first goal came in the 17th minute: Messi received the ball between the lines, drove toward the box and finished with a curling left-footed shot into the corner past Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane. In the second half he extended the lead in the 60th, capturing a rebound after a shot from Alexis Mac Allister, and sealed his performance in the 76th, with a finish into the far post. With the second goal he had drawn level with Brazil's Ronaldo, and with the third he passed him to tie Klose.
