Erling Haaland put it so eloquently that Lionel Messi was a ‘madman’ after his World Cup hat-trick. And he’s not wrong in the slightest.The Argentina superstar plundered a stunning treble against Algeria to get the South American’s trophy defence off to the best possible start. But the 38-year-old was not the only one to make headlines on what was one of the most thrilling evenings of World Cup action so far.Real Madrid and France forward Kylian Mbappe kicked things off as he plundered a double in his nation’s 3-1 win against Senegal. Manchester City sensation Haaland then followed suit with his own brace against Iraq on his World Cup debut.That all leaves England star Harry Kane with the pressure on his shoulders should he want to add to the Golden Boot he won at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. The Three Lions take on Croatia in Dallas on Wednesday evening and will want to show he promises to be one of the heavyweights this summer.So, what actually happened on the night the stars finally started shining in the 2026 edition?Mbappe secures France recordThe pressure has been on Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe heading into the World Cup. A trophyless season with the Spanish giants has seen the spotlight shine ever brighter on the 27-year-old.And with the chance to become France’s all-time record goalscorer in his sights, the scrutiny was set to be even more severe. But Mbappe rose to the challenge - and more. After latching onto Michael Olise’s pass, he thundered home a brilliant finish.And in stoppage time, he fired in a stunning goal from range, which saw him move one clear of Olivier Giroud at the very top of Les Bleus’ goalscoring ranks. It also leaves Mbappe just two goals behind joint-World Cup record goalscorers Miroslav Klose and Lionel Messi (more on him later).Speaking about his record-breaking goal, Mbappe said: "It's something I've always really wanted to do, and I've always placed that above everything else. Now, we know why we're here. I think I'll have time to think about that kind of thing when I stop playing.“Right now, I know why I'm here. I'm here to help the team, to continue with my team-mates. We're going to keep trying to write a really big chapter in the history of the France team. And I know the path will be very long, but as I said, we're ready."France boss Didier Deschamps also rallied behind Mbappe following his starring role. He said: "There are still people out there who will criticise him, but he is an extraordinary player. Not everything came off for him, but he can win games in one moment."As captain, he does a lot for the squad on and off the field, even if some people think he is selfish. I am really pleased for him. He didn't score in the warm-up friendly games, but to break the record at the World Cup gives it more impact."Haaland enjoys dream debutWhile Mbappe has already been there and done it when it comes to World Cups, it's a different story for Haaland. He has harnessed his goalscoring talents in both the Bundesliga, Premier League and Champions League but had yet to do it on the biggest stage of all - but no longer.It took him less than half an hour to make his mark, producing a typically predatory finish at the back post. Haaland then doubled his evening’s work after being presented with a gift by Iraq goalkeeper Jalal Hassan.On his goals, Haaland said: “My first goal was nice, the second even nicer, so it’s fantastic and I’m proud of everyone that we could get off to a good start. We know though that the next games will be even tougher and we will have to play even better.“We were expected to win and we won, fortunately. Now everybody in Norway will be happy, and I hope people will party!”But the Norway international stopped short of revelling in his goalscoring achievement, even namechecking rivals for the golden boot Kane and Mbappe. He added: “I would say I’m up there.“I don’t think I scored the most goals this season. So, statistically, no I’m not because I think Harry Kane and Mbappe scored more goals than me and that’s reality.”Messi bags first trebleNot to be outdone, Argentina star Lionel Messi made sure that he was not left out overnight with a hat-trick in his nation’s opening group game against Algeria - his first-ever World Cup treble.After initially having a goal ruled out due to a narrow offside decision, the veteran forward hit back with a vengeance with a stunning drive from the edge of the area. He then bagged a second by firing home from a ricochet off of the goalkeeper.But the former Barcelona man was not satisfied there. Another clinical finish in the second-half saw him draw level with Klose at the top of the World Cup goalscoring list.Speaking about that record, he said: “Honestly, no [if he thinks about the importance of the record], it’s an honour to be there because of what it means to be there next to Klose, Ronaldo is there too, but I don’t think it means anything.“Mbappé is there, he scored two today. It’s a statistic and nothing more . While it’s an honour to be able to compete with all of them, it doesn’t mean anything to me .“Ronaldo, from what I saw, was one of the greatest and he’s not in first place, so it all comes down to a statistic.”Messi was overcome with emotion during the game, having broken down in tears. Explaining his reaction, he said: “Honestly, completely unrelated to the sport, I went through some difficult, complicated days.“I’m grateful to the entire delegation, to my teammates. They were always there for me, as always. They gave me a lot of strength to get through this, and that’s all.”Messi’s performance was so typical of him that one of his goalscoring contemporaries, Haaland, took to Snapchat shortly after his treble, labelling him as a ‘madman’. England forward Kane will no doubt be sharing that sentiment and has a huge task on his hands to ensure he is not out of the race for the Golden Boot before it has even begun.Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.Content cannot be displayed without consent