Argentina's record-breaker Lionel Messi.
From a record-equalling Lionel Messi rolling back the years to packed North American stadiums and a historic Cape Verde upset, the opening round of fixtures at the 2026 FIFA World Cup has delivered no shortage of drama.
Here is what we learned from the first round of group-stage matches:
Lionel Messi's World Cup odyssey appeared to reach its perfect climax in Qatar four years ago when he finally lifted the trophy. Or so we thought. As his 39th birthday approaches, the Argentina captain could not resist one last crack at football's biggest prize, producing a memorable hat-trick against Algeria in Kansas City.
Messi's treble — featuring two thunderous strikes from distance and a clinical poacher's finish — took him level with Germany's Miroslav Klose as the joint-all-time top scorer in World Cup history with 16 goals. France forward Kylian Mbappé sits just two goals behind.
