Lionel Messi, Argentina’s iconic skipper, made history in his first appearance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup by surpassing Ronaldo Nazario’s goal record and equaling Miroslav Klose’s all-time tally. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner netted a hat-trick against Algeria, marking his 200th international cap in spectacular fashion.
Argentina faced Algeria in the opening Group J match at Kansas City Stadium. The defending champions began aggressively, with Messi burying the ball in the net early on, only for the goal to be disallowed for offside. Algeria also had a goal ruled out for the same reason moments later.
In the 17th minute, Messi collected the ball in the attacking zone, turned swiftly, and unleashed a powerful shot from range. Goalkeeper Luca Zidane got a touch, but the ferocity carried it into the top corner, igniting celebrations. Messi added two more goals to complete his hat-trick.
With this performance, Messi now has 16 World Cup goals, overtaking Ronaldo Nazario’s 15 and tying Miroslav Klose’s record. He also joins Ronaldo as the only players to score in five different World Cups. Argentina defeated Algeria 3-0 in a dominant display.