2026 World Cup: FIFA Sends Message to Lionel Messi After Scoring Hat-Trick in Argentina’s 3:0 Win
- Lionel Messi scored the first World Cup hat-trick of his career as Argentina defeated Algeria 3-0 on Tuesday night
- The Argentina captain equalled Miroslav Klose's all-time World Cup scoring record of 16 goals
- FIFA celebrated Messi's historic display with a simple but powerful message on social media: "Classic Messi"
Lionel Messi rolled back the years with a sensational performance as Argentina began their 2026 FIFA World Cup title defence in style, defeating Algeria 3-0 while the legendary forward etched his name even deeper into football history.
The Argentina captain scored the first World Cup hat-trick of his illustrious career and matched Miroslav Klose's long-standing record as the competition's all-time leading scorer.
Source: Getty Images
On a night packed with milestones, Messi's brilliance ensured the reigning champions made a perfect start to their campaign in Group J, BBC Sport reports.
Making his 200th appearance for Argentina, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner once again proved why he remains one of the most influential players in world football despite approaching his 39th birthday.
Messi reaches historic World Cup landmark
Argentina were expected to face a difficult challenge against a determined Algerian side, but Messi's quality ultimately made the difference.
The breakthrough arrived in the 17th minute when the veteran forward collected a pass from Rodrigo De Paul before curling a superb effort beyond goalkeeper Luca Zidane, the son of French football icon Zinedine Zidane.
It was a trademark Messi finish and a sign of things to come.
Argentina had already seen an effort ruled out earlier in the match, while Algeria also had a goal disallowed during an entertaining opening spell.
However, once Messi found his rhythm, the outcome rarely looked in doubt.
The goal carried extra significance as it moved him closer to another World Cup record and highlighted his enduring ability to deliver on football's biggest stage.
Hat-trick hero Messi leads Argentina to victory
Argentina continued to press after the break and doubled their advantage just after the hour mark.
Source: Getty Images
Messi capitalised on a costly mistake from Zidane, reacting quickest inside the penalty area to slot home his second goal of the evening.
With Algeria struggling to contain him, the Inter Miami star completed his historic treble in the 76th minute.
After receiving possession from Nicolas Gonzalez, Messi drove towards the edge of the area before unleashing a powerful strike that flew into the net.
The goal sparked celebrations among Argentina supporters and sealed a comfortable victory for Lionel Scaloni's side.
More importantly, it gave Messi his first-ever World Cup hat-trick and elevated his tally at the tournament to 16 goals.
That figure now puts him level with former Germany striker Miroslav Klose as the highest scorer in World Cup history.
FIFA hails Messi's record-breaking display
Following the final whistle, FIFA wasted little time acknowledging Messi's latest masterpiece.
Taking to X, the world football governing body posted:
"Classic Messi"
The performance also saw Messi break several additional records.
At 38 years and 357 days old, he became the oldest player in men's World Cup history to score both a brace and a hat-trick in a tournament match, FOX Sports reports.
He also surpassed Cristiano Ronaldo's record as the oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick.
Messi's international tally now stands at 120 goals, second only to Ronaldo's 143 in men's international football.
The Argentine legend has also scored in five different World Cups and has now found the net in five consecutive World Cup matches, equalling another competition record.
With matches against Austria and Jordan still to come in Group J, Messi has the opportunity to become the first player ever to score in six straight World Cup games.
Messi eyes World Cup Golden Boot
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the 2026 FIFA World Cup will feature two players who could finish the tournament as the outright top scorer in World Cup history.
Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe are within touching distance of German football legend Miroslav Klose, who is the leading scorer with 16 goals.
Source: Legit.ng
