A hat-trick decades in the making

Few achievements had eluded Messi during his extraordinary career.

World Cup winner. Eight-time Ballon d’Or recipient. Argentina’s most-capped player and leading scorer.

Yet until Thursday, a World Cup hat-trick had never featured on that list.

That changed when the Argentine maestro completed a memorable treble against Algeria, producing another masterclass on football’s biggest stage.

His third goal was vintage Messi.

The move began near the centre circle, where Messi glided past challenges before releasing Nico Gonzalez on the left flank. The substitute returned the ball to his captain on the edge of the penalty area and the outcome felt inevitable.

Messi curled a precise low effort into the bottom corner, sending Argentina supporters into celebration and completing a historic hat-trick.

The goal carried significance far beyond the result.

Messi’s hat-trick elevated him to the top of the World Cup scoring charts alongside Klose, whose record had stood untouched since Germany’s triumph in Brazil in 2014.

The record once appeared out of reach. Now Messi has matched it and could soon surpass it.

With Argentina guaranteed at least two more group-stage matches and potentially several knockout fixtures, the opportunity to become the tournament’s outright leading scorer remains firmly within reach.

Another chapter in a remarkable World Cup journey

Messi’s relationship with the World Cup has spanned two decades.

He made his debut as a teenager in Germany in 2006, lifted the trophy in Qatar in 2022 and has now become the joint-highest scorer in the tournament’s history at the 2026 edition in North America.

The latest achievement also continued an extraordinary scoring streak. Messi has now scored in six different World Cups and remains one of the most influential players in international football despite being in the twilight of his career.

His latest display once again highlighted the qualities that have defined his greatness — close control, vision, composure and an ability to decide matches in moments.

Mbappe remains in the hunt

While Messi has caught Klose, the race for World Cup scoring supremacy may not be over.

France forward Kylian Mbappe is currently on 14 World Cup goals and remains one of the leading contenders to challenge the record during the tournament.

For now, however, the spotlight belongs to Messi.

For years, Klose’s tally of 16 goals stood alone atop the World Cup record books.

Now it has company.

And if Messi’s opening performance is any indication, the record may not remain shared for long.