Lionel Messi scores hat-trick against Algeria and ties Miroslav Klose’s World Cup scoring record
Lionel Messi leads Argentina National Team to a dominant victory over Algeria National Team in their 2026 FIFA World Cup opener
Joel Casillas
6/17/20261 min read
Argentina opens title defense in style
When discussing contenders for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the reigning champions, Argentina National Team, are always near the top of the list.
Led by stars such as Lautaro Martínez, Julián Álvarez and Lionel Messi, Argentina began its World Cup campaign against the Algeria National Team.
Much of the attention centered on Messi, who is playing what could be his final World Cup while chasing history.
Early drama with disallowed goals
The match started with high intensity and appeared headed toward an early Messi goal, only for the play to be ruled out.
Algeria also had a goal disallowed, which proved to be one of their few significant attacking moments of the evening.
Messi puts Argentina ahead
Argentina’s pressure paid off in the 17th minute.
Lionel Messi found the net to give the defending champions a deserved 1-0 lead heading into halftime.
A stunning strike brings history closer
Argentina dominated the second half and continued creating chances.
In the 60th minute, Messi scored a brilliant long-range goal to double the lead and move within one goal of tying the all-time World Cup scoring record held by Miroslav Klose.
Historic hat-trick for Messi
The historic moment arrived in the 76th minute.
Messi completed his hat-trick, sending the crowd into celebration and drawing level with Miroslav Klose atop the World Cup scoring charts.
It was another unforgettable performance from one of the greatest players in football history.
Argentina sends a message
Beyond the result, Argentina looked dominant in every phase of the game.
Their control of possession, attacking movement and overall quality overwhelmed Algeria and reinforced their status as one of the favorites to win the tournament.
How many more goals can Messi score?
With his three-goal performance, Lionel Messi has matched Miroslav Klose as the leading scorer in World Cup history.
The question now becomes whether Messi can move past the German legend and establish himself as the undisputed all-time World Cup goals leader before the tournament comes to an end.