Messi shatters World Cup records with historic hat-trick
The match in Kansas City proved historic for the 37-year-old captain, who also became the first player to appear in six World Cup editions, underlining his extraordinary longevity at the highest level.
KATHMANDU: Lionel Messi delivered a record-breaking performance as he scored his first World Cup hat-trick to lead Argentina to a commanding 3–0 victory over Algeria, marking a dream start to their title defence.
The match in Kansas City proved historic for the 37-year-old captain, who also became the first player to appear in six World Cup editions, underlining his extraordinary longevity at the highest level.
Messi opened the scoring in the 17th minute after reacting quickest to a rebound from Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane, taking his World Cup goal tally to 15 and equalling Brazil legend Ronaldo Nazário’s record.
Earlier, a disallowed effort in the fourth minute briefly delayed his milestone moment, but the Argentina captain soon found his rhythm in a match watched by around 70,000 fans.
He later added two more goals to complete his hat-trick—his first in World Cup history—moving level with Germany’s Miroslav Klose’s all-time tournament record of 16 goals.
The performance also came amid a shifting record race, with France star Kylian Mbappé briefly overtaking Messi earlier in the day before the Argentine reclaimed his place among the tournament’s top scorers.
Messi’s appearance also marked his 200th international cap, adding another milestone to a career already defined by longevity and consistency. The match came exactly 20 years after his World Cup debut in 2006, when he first appeared for Argentina as a teenager.
With the achievement, Messi became the first player to score in five consecutive World Cup matches, extending a streak that began in the 2022 tournament.
As he left the pitch to a standing ovation, replaced late on by Nico Paz, the Argentine captain received a rousing tribute from fans acknowledging yet another landmark night in his career.
Argentina now turn their attention to upcoming group fixtures against Austria and Jordan, with Messi still chasing further records as he approaches his 39th birthday.
Should he guide Argentina to back-to-back World Cup titles, he would also become the nation’s first captain to successfully defend the trophy—something even legendary former captain Diego Maradona never achieved.
