Messi scores first World Cup hat-trick at 38 to equal Klose's all-time record

Lionel Messi produced a landmark performance at the 2026 World Cup, scoring his first-ever hat-trick at the tournament during Argentina’s group-stage match against Algeria to equal Miroslav Klose’s all-time record of 16 World Cup goals.

The 38-year-old had never previously scored three goals in a single World Cup game across his storied international career. With Argentina still to play further matches in the competition, Messi now stands as the clear favourite to surpass Klose’s long-standing mark outright in the coming weeks.

Erling Haaland was among those left in awe of the display. The Norway striker took to Snapchat to share his reaction, writing: “Messi is a madman 👑” — a message that quickly circulated across social media.

Haaland himself had earlier threatened to dominate the day’s headlines, scoring a brace for Norway against Iraq. That came just hours after Kylian Mbappe struck twice in France’s 3-1 win over Senegal, placing him level with Folarin Balogun, Kai Havertz, and New Zealand’s Elijah Just as joint-top scorer at the tournament.

England manager Thomas Tuchel also faced the media, addressing questions about his decision not to sing the national anthem before matches. The German coach acknowledged he is “not there yet” when it comes to joining in with ‘God Save the King’, a stance that has drawn attention since his appointment.

There was also sombre news from the tournament. Scottish supporter Donny Strathie, a member of the Tartan Army, died on Sunday in Boston at the age of 76. Strathie had a ticket for Scotland’s upcoming group match against Morocco, and his family have asked for a tribute to be paid to him during that game.

On the pitch, Iran faced a brief scare over squad availability. Winger Mehdi Torab had initially been granted entry to the United States only for their match against New Zealand, raising the prospect of him missing Iran’s final two group games. Those visa complications were swiftly resolved, however, with the 31-year-old — who was an unused substitute against New Zealand — now confirmed as available for the remainder of Iran’s campaign.