Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick on his 200th appearance for Argentina, beating Algeria 3-0 in their 2026 FIFA World Cup opener. The date was June 17, 2026, exactly 20 years after his World Cup debut against Serbia and Montenegro in 2006.
The performance made him the first player in history to appear in six different World Cup editions. He also tied records for World Cup goals and appearances across those tournaments.
Fan tokens light up after the final whistle
Argentina’s fan token ($ARG) and Chiliz’s native token (CHZ) both saw heightened trading volume and volatility following Messi’s three-goal masterclass.
Messi has served as a global brand ambassador for Socios.com, the fan token platform built on the Chiliz blockchain, since March 2022. That ambassadorship deal is reportedly valued at over $20 million.
