Olamilekan Abayomi
Lionel Messi marked his record 200th cap and record sixth World Cup appearance with a sensational hat-trick, powering defending champions Argentina to a 3-0 win over Algeria on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, in their Group J opener at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. The 38-year-old became the oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick and the first to do it in six different tournaments, delivering a masterclass exactly 20 years after his first World Cup goal in 2006.
Messi opened the scoring in the 17th minute with a trademark left-footed rocket from about 25 yards. Rodrigo De Paul split Algeria’s midfield with a perfectly weighted through ball, and Messi drove forward before letting fly. Algeria keeper Luca Zidane, son of France legend Zinedine, got a hand to it but couldn’t keep it out. The strike sent the heavily pro-Argentina crowd into delirium after an earlier Messi goal was chalked off for offside in the 5th minute.
His second came on the hour mark and showed the poacher’s instinct of an aging legend. Alexis Mac Allister fired a 25-yard drive that Zidane fumbled off his chest. Messi reacted first to tap in the rebound and double Argentina’s lead. The goal was a reminder that even at 38, Messi’s football intelligence and anticipation remain unmatched.
The hat-trick was completed in the 76th minute with another moment of magic. Surging from midfield, Messi exchanged passes with Mac Allister, continued his run to the edge of the box, and curled a low shot inside the near post past a helpless Zidane. He was subbed off in the 80th minute to a standing ovation, having almost added a fourth moments earlier when Zidane tipped a shot over the bar.
With his three goals, Messi moved to 16 World Cup goals in his career, tying Germany’s Miroslav Klose for the all-time men’s scoring record. It was his first World Cup hat-trick in 27 matches and 21 years of appearances, and his 11th overall for Argentina. Coach Lionel Scaloni called it “incredible,” adding: “If anyone thought this team was better without Leo, today it became clear that Leo is the most important player of all.
Argentina’s 3-0 win was a statement after stumbling in their 2022 opener against Saudi Arabia. The holders controlled midfield through Enzo Fernández, Mac Allister, and De Paul, and limited Algeria to just one shot on target. Algeria coach Vladimir Petkovic admitted his side made it “easier for him to score,” but praised Messi’s “clear thinking at crucial stages”. Argentina now face Austria and Jordan in their remaining Group J games as they aim to become the first men’s team since Brazil in 1962 to retain the World Cup.
