3 min readJun 17, 2026 10:40 AM IST
First published on: Jun 17, 2026 at 10:40 AM IST
Lionel Messi kick-started his record sixth World Cup appearance with a sensational performance as Argentina routed Algeria in their Group I opener in Kansas City on the back of their talisman’s hat-trick on Tuesday night.
Exactly 20 years since making his World Cup debut where he became Argentina’s youngest-ever World Cup scorer, Messi dazzled in his 200th international appearance, setting up a fiery start for the reigning world champions.
Messi’s first goal came in the 17th minute, curling a left-footed shot past Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane (the son of French legend Zinedine Zidane) from open play outside the box. The second goal came in a canter, after a teammate took a shot at goal, Zidane could not collect it and ended up sending it back into to play where Messi was at hand to seal the goal with a tap in.
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Messi netted a record hat-trick in the 76th minute, where he clinically finished off some good build up play from his teammates. Just over a minute after he had completed his first hat-trick in World Cup history, Messi was subbed off to a standing ovation.
Records tumble
The 38-year-old Messi edged out his long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo to become the oldest man to net a World Cup hat-trick. Ronaldo acheived the feat in 2018 at 33 years old.
Messi also bagged his 11th hat-trick in the Argentine shirt, overhauling Ronaldo’s tally of 10 hat-tricks to record the most hat-trick in men’s international football. Moreover, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner also equalled Germany’s Miroslav Klose as the joint-highest scorer in World Cup history.
Most international hat-tricks
| Player |
Span |
Hat-tricks |
| Lionel Messi (Argentina) |
2012–2026 |
11 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal |
2013–2021 |
10 |
| Sven Rydell (Sweden) |
1924–1932 |
9 |
| Ali Mabkhout (UAE) |
2012–2021 |
9 |
| Poul Nielsen (Norway) |
1913–1921 |
8 |
| Gerd Müller (Germany) |
1967–1972 |
8 |
Messi full list of international hat-tricks
Messi’s latest hat-trick was the 61st hat-trick of his professional career, including club and country, five behind Ronaldo’s tally of 66 hat-tricks.
| Date |
Team |
Opposition |
Score |
Tournament |
Goals |
| 29/02/2012 |
Argentina |
Switzerland |
3-1 |
Friendly |
3 |
| 09/06/2012 |
Argentina |
Brazil |
4-3 |
Friendly |
3 |
| 15/06/2013 |
Argentina |
Guatemala |
4-0 |
Friendly |
3 |
| 11/06/2016 |
Argentina |
Panama |
5-0 |
Copa America |
3 |
| 11/10/2017 |
Argentina |
Ecuador |
3-1 |
World Cup Qualifier |
3 |
| 30/05/2018 |
Argentina |
Haiti |
4-0 |
Friendly |
3 |
| 10/09/2021 |
Argentina |
Bolivia |
3-0 |
World Cup Qualifier |
3 |
| 05/06/2022 |
Argentina |
Estonia |
5-0 |
Friendly |
5 |
| 28/03/2023 |
Argentina |
Curacao |
7-0 |
Friendly |
3 |
| 15/10/2024 |
Argentina |
Bolivia |
6-0 |
World Cup Qualifier |
3 |
| 17/06/2026 |
Argentina |
Algeria |
3-0 |
World Cup 2026 |
3 |
Lionel Messi in action. (FILE photo) 
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