Lionel Messi wrote another chapter in football history on Wednesday, scoring his first-ever FIFA World Cup hat-trick as Argentina demolished Algeria in Kansas City — and in doing so, he surpassed Cristiano Ronaldo as the oldest player to achieve the feat at a World Cup.

Messi, aged 38 years and 357 days, overtook Ronaldo, who was 33 years and 122 days old when he scored a hat-trick against Spain in a 2018 group-stage match at the tournament.

How the hat-trick unfolded

Argentina's captain opened his account in the 17th minute, lashing a long-range strike past the Algeria goalkeeper. The second arrived in the 60th minute, when Messi pounced on a rebound to poke the ball home.

He completed the treble in the 76th minute with a composed left-footed drive from the edge of the box — a goal that also drew him level with Germany's Miroslav Klose for the most strikes in FIFA World Cup history.

A record-breaking milestone

The hat-trick was Messi's 11th in international football, a remarkable tally that underlines his enduring influence on the global game even at 38. His performance against Algeria demonstrated that age has done little to diminish his clinical edge in front of goal.

For Algeria, the defeat was a painful setback at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with Messi single-handedly dismantling their defensive efforts across the 90 minutes in Kansas City.