Lionel Messi made history Tuesday night by tying the all-time World Cup scoring record at 16 goals, level with Miroslav Klose, after scoring a hat trick in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Kansas City.
The hat trick was the 11th of Messi’s international career — but the first at the World Cup. At 38 years old, he became the oldest player to score three goals in a game at the tournament.
But the number people will remember from this night is not 16 or 38. It is the tears. When asked about his emotional reaction after the first goal, Messi said: “It had nothing to do with football. I went through difficult days.”
The Three Goals
All three goals were outstanding — a long-range screamer in the 17th minute, a tap-in in the 60th, and a curled effort into the bottom corner in the 76th.
The opener nearly came even earlier. Messi thought he had scored in the eighth minute when he slotted home from close range — but the offside flag was raised. Then came the real one. A trademark mazy run capped by a left-foot drive on the edge of the box — the power too much for Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane, son of World Cup winner Zinedine Zidane.
That detail alone tells you something about this sport. The keeper trying to stop the greatest player alive is the son of one of the greatest players who ever lived. And he could not stop him.
Five Records Broken in One Night
| Record | Detail |
|---|---|
| All-time WC goals | 16 — level with Miroslav Klose |
| WC goal contributions | 24 (16 goals, 8 assists) — past Pelé’s 21 |
| Oldest WC hat trick | 38 years old |
| Six World Cups | First man in history to appear in six |
| 200th cap | Argentina’s 200th international appearance |
The goals came 20 years to the day that Messi made his World Cup debut for Argentina against Serbia and Montenegro — he scored in that one, too. Twenty years apart. Same tournament. Same shirt. Still scoring.
What Messi Said After the Match
On tying Klose’s record, Messi said: “It’s an honor being up there for what it means, being alongside Klose and Ronaldo, who is there also. But it doesn’t mean anything. It makes me very happy to have lived through everything that came my way.”
A man who just equalled the greatest scoring record in World Cup history saying “it doesn’t mean anything” — either he is the most humble athlete alive, or he measures his career by something other than numbers. Probably both.
Mbappe and Haaland Also Delivered — But Messi Stole the Night
ESPN’s World Cup coverage confirmed the wider context — Kylian Mbappe scored twice in France’s 3-1 win over Senegal, and Erling Haaland scored twice for Norway in their 4-1 win over Iraq. Three generational talents scored multiple goals on the same Tuesday. Messi, the oldest of them all, scored the most.
Now It Is Ronaldo’s Turn. And He Just Drew 1-1.
Portugal played DR Congo on Wednesday. Ronaldo played the full 90 minutes. Portugal drew 1-1 — more on that in the full match report below.
The contrast between Messi’s night and Ronaldo’s night tells the story of where these two legends are in June 2026.
Argentina next face Austria on Monday.
