KANSAS CITY: Lionel Messi savored a “beautiful moment” after becoming the World Cup’s joint all-time leading goalscorer on Tuesday but said, “ultimately, it is just a statistic, nothing more.” The 38-year-old Argentina captain etched another memorable chapter in his glittering career with a brilliant hat trick in the South Americans’ 3-0 win over Algeria in Kansas City. Messi’s hat trick — his first ever at a World Cup — vaulted him alongside Germany’s Miroslav Klose as the top scorer in the tournament’s history with 16 goals.

Lionel Messi achieved a remarkable hat-trick in Argentina's World Cup debut against Algeria. This dominant performance saw the veteran player equal Miroslav Klose's all-time World…

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Lionel Messi delivered his first World Cup hat trick while matching Miroslav Klose's career tournament scoring record Tuesday ni...