Lionel Messi made history in Kansas City, Missouri, on Tuesday night, tying Miroslav Klose’s record for most men’s World Cup goals with 16. Messi scored a hat trick to lead Argentina to a 3-0 victory over Algeria.
The match marked Messi’s 200th appearance for Argentina and his first hat trick at a World Cup. At age 38, he became the oldest player to record three goals in a single tournament game. He left late in the second half to applause from Argentina supporters at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
“It’s an honor being up there for what it means, being alongside Klose and [Brazil’s] Ronaldo, who is there also. But it doesn’t mean anything,” Messi said following the win. “[Kylian] Mbappé is there, too, he scored twice today. At the end of the day, they are stats and nothing more.”
Lionel Messi is now the joint top #FIFAWorldCup [1] goalscorer pic.twitter.com/0wtOUS2ylM [2]
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 17, 2026 [3]
His appearance also set another landmark as the first player to feature in six World Cups. Previously, the record of five belonged to Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal, Antonio Carbajal, Andrés Guardado, and Rafael Márquez of Mexico, along with Lothar Matthäus of Germany. Ronaldo was scheduled to equal the mark in Portugal’s opener against Congo on Wednesday.
Messi’s first goal came in the opening half with a left-footed strike from outside the area. He added two more after the break to complete the hat trick and tie Klose’s record of 16 goals for Germany.
Tears followed his first goal. When asked about his emotions, Messi explained, “Why did I cry? It was something completely unrelated to football. I went through some difficult days, but I’m grateful to the entire delegation and my teammates because they were always by my side, giving me a lot of strength to help me get through it.”
The three goals came exactly 20 years after Messi’s World Cup debut for Argentina against Serbia and Montenegro, a match in which he also scored. He is now the second player to find the net in five editions of the tournament.
Argentina’s win tied Messi with Klose again, this time for the most World Cup match victories at 17. It was also the fifth consecutive World Cup game in which Messi scored. Questions about his fitness preceded the event since he left his last MLS game with Inter Miami in May due to muscle fatigue.
“It makes me very happy to have lived through everything that came my way,” Messi said. “What I’m living through now is the cherry on top. I’m very happy and grateful for this wonderful group, I enjoy it so much.”
Argentina established its base camp in the Kansas City area and, like elsewhere, local enthusiasm for Messi surged following the team’s arrival two weeks earlier. On match day, thousands wearing his No. 10 jersey filled the NFL Chiefs’ venue, with songs dedicated to their star. At a downtown watch party, a goat wearing an Argentina shirt appeared on stage beside former NFL quarterback-turned-Fox broadcaster Jameis Winston.
The display preceded Messi’s scoring spree an hour later, reinforcing chants from supporters calling him soccer’s GOAT. His performance came on a night when Erling Haaland and Mbappé each scored twice for Norway and France, respectively.
Teammates praised Messi’s influence. Rodrigo De Paul said, “It’s an advantage to have Leo because of how he handles the group and pushes it forward. Because of who he is. He doesn’t care about individual records. He prioritizes the group, and for us it’s incredible.”
Alexis Mac Allister echoed the sentiment, stating, “There are no words to describe him. If anyone thought this team was better without Leo, today it was proven that the opposite is true. He is our most important player. We need to build a team around him, and we are doing it.”
Argentina will next face Austria in Dallas on June 22 before completing group play against Jordan. Messi noted the level of competition across the tournament, saying, “The first matches of a World Cup are always tough, and we’re seeing that nobody’s giving anything away. It’s a competitive World Cup with well-prepared national teams.”