Argentina’s captain, Lionel Messi, has shattered Ronaldo Nazario and Miroslav Klose World Cup goal records with his first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
He also joined Ronaldo as the only players to score in five different editions of the FIFA World Cup.
The 38-year-old celebrated his 200th international cap with a remarkable hat-trick against Algeria.
La Albiceleste faced Algeria in their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the Kansas City Stadium.
The reigning champions started strong, with Messi finding the net in the early minutes; however, this goal was promptly ruled out for offside.
Algeria responded by scoring at the opposite end, but their effort was also disallowed for offside by the officials.
Subsequently, in the 17th minute, Messi received the ball in the attacking third, executed a swift turn, and charged towards the Algerian goal, unleashing a powerful shot from distance.
Luca Zidane managed to touch the ball, but the force of the strike sent it into the top corner. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner celebrated joyfully with his teammates, marking his 118th goal for Argentina.
Messi later added two more goals to complete a hat-trick on the night and has now netted 16 goals in FIFA World Cup history, placing him above Ronaldo Nazario (15) and equal with Klose (16) in the all-time rankings.
