Haaland hails Messi as a 'madman' after Argentina legend's World Cup hat-trick

Lionel Messi silenced any talk of a generational handover by scoring a hat-trick for Argentina against Algeria at the World Cup, prompting an immediate and emphatic response from Erling Haaland, who posted on Snapchat: “Messi is a madman 👑.”

The 38-year-old’s three goals sealed Argentina’s victory and moved him level with Miroslav Klose at the top of the World Cup all-time scoring charts on 16 goals — also his first hat-trick at the tournament. Earlier in the day, both Haaland and Kylian Mbappe had scored twice, for Norway against Iraq and for their respective sides, but Messi’s treble eclipsed them both in the golden boot standings.

Thomas Müller was equally effusive, posting to Instagram alongside a goat emoji: “This guy…”

Messi was visibly emotional after netting his first goal, and he explained his reaction in post-match comments. “After my goal, I cried over an issue unrelated to sports… I went through complicated days,” he said.

Reflecting on his own fitness and Argentina’s tournament prospects, Messi added: “This is my 6th World Cup, and I still feel like I’m in good shape. Fortunately, I’m doing well, and today we managed to win a tough match. It’s important to start the tournament with a victory in the first game, as that’s never easy in a World Cup. I am so pleased that I lived through everything I went through in my career. What I’m living now is like an extra gift.”

Folarin Balogun and Kai Havertz also sit on two goals for the tournament, but Messi’s hat-trick has opened a clear gap at the top of the scoring charts as the competition enters its next phase.