Messi's hat-trick ties Klose's all-time record as Mbappe and Haaland also shine on World Cup day six

Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick on his 200th Argentina appearance to draw level with Miroslav Klose as the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer, as the reigning champions opened their title defence with a commanding victory over Algeria. Kylian Mbappe struck twice to become France’s all-time top scorer in a win over Senegal, while Erling Haaland netted on his World Cup debut as Norway edged Iraq.

Messi, just a week short of his 39th birthday, took his World Cup finals tally to 16 goals — matching Klose’s long-standing record. His opener came when he collected the ball from Inter Miami team-mate Rodrigo De Paul and bent a precise strike past Luca Zidane, son of France legend Zinedine, on his 27th appearance at the tournament. He doubled Argentina’s lead on the hour mark by pouncing on a Zidane error, then sealed the treble in the 76th minute with a thunderous strike from the edge of the area.

In New Jersey, Mbappe picked up where he left off at Qatar 2022 — where he scored a hat-trick in the final — by netting twice against Senegal to move to 58 international goals, one clear of former record holder Olivier Giroud. Bradley Barcola had put France 2-0 ahead before Ibrahim Mbaye pulled one back, but Mbappe broke Senegal’s resistance with a low second-half strike and then killed off any hope of a comeback with a sensational long-range effort deep into stoppage time.

At Boston Stadium, Haaland marked his long-awaited World Cup debut with two goals as Norway — returning to the tournament for the first time in 28 years — overcame a spirited Iraq side in their Group I opener. The 25-year-old, who now has 57 goals in 51 international appearances, opened the scoring just 58 seconds after the first-half hydration break, sliding home a low cross from David Moller Wolfe at the far post. Iraq levelled deservedly on 39 minutes through a powerful Aymen Hussein header, but Haaland ultimately proved the difference. He was denied what would have been the 55th hat-trick in World Cup history by a fine late block from Jalal Hassan.

For Iraq, making their first World Cup appearance in 40 years, the performance offered plenty of encouragement despite the defeat.