Messi's first World Cup hat-trick draws him level with Klose as all-time top scorer

Lionel Messi drew level with Miroslav Klose as the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer on Tuesday, netting a hat-trick as Argentina demolished Algeria 3-0 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City to announce themselves as genuine 2026 contenders.

The goals — his 118th, 119th and 120th for Argentina — were Messi’s first hat-trick at a World Cup and took his tournament tally to 16, matching the retired German striker’s record and moving him clear of Brazil’s Ronaldo. It came in his 200th appearance for his country, and with his 39th birthday approaching, this is widely expected to be his sixth and final World Cup — a tournament he became the first player in history to appear at on six occasions.

The opener came from distance, a 25-yard effort that Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane — son of Zinedine Zidane, a player Messi once faced both on the pitch and in the dugout — pushed into his own top corner. The second arrived when Zidane palmed Alexis Mac Allister’s long-range strike directly into Messi’s path for a tap-in. The third was characteristically precise: receiving the ball on the edge of the area, creating a yard of space, and rolling a low finish into the bottom corner. Messi left the pitch to a standing ovation shortly afterwards as coach Lionel Scaloni moved to protect his captain.

The result also makes Messi the highest scorer of the 2026 tournament so far. Kylian Mbappé moved onto 14 World Cup goals with a brace in France’s 3-1 win over Senegal on the same matchday, while Erling Haaland also scored twice in his side’s fixture — but both remain two behind the Argentine.

Cristiano Ronaldo, who carries just eight World Cup goals into his own sixth tournament when Portugal face DR Congo on Wednesday, will need a remarkable run to threaten Messi’s record pace.

Scaloni’s system deserves recognition for the way it continues to serve Messi without being built solely around him. The defending champions looked authoritative throughout, with FIFA president Gianni Infantino among those watching from the stands as Argentina underlined their status as a team to beat in the United States.