Lionel Messi delivered one of the defining performances of his extraordinary career on Tuesday, scoring his first World Cup hat-trick to draw level with Germany's Miroslav Klose as the all-time leading scorer in World Cup finals history.
The 38-year-old struck in the 18th, 60th, and 76th minutes as Argentina defeated Algeria 3-0 in Kansas City, extending his own record tally to 16 World Cup goals — and underlining that there is no sign of him slowing down.
A record six World Cups
The occasion carried added weight even before kick-off. Messi became the first player in history to appear at six World Cup tournaments, edging ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo by a single day. Remarkably, the match fell exactly 20 years after his World Cup debut as an 18-year-old at Germany 2006.
From the first whistle, Messi was alive to every opportunity. As early as the 4th minute, he broke clear and beat Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane — son of France legend Zinedine — only for an offside flag to rule the effort out. The crowd erupted anyway. The sense of the inevitable was already in the air.
Three goals that shook Kansas City
The opening goal arrived in the 18th minute. Receiving the ball 25 yards from goal, Messi shifted onto his left foot and curled a precision strike into the top-right corner. Zidane got both hands to it but could not keep it out. Kansas City Stadium shook with noise.
After 60 minutes, a costly error from Zidane presented the ball directly to Messi, who slotted home with characteristic composure to become the oldest player in history to score two goals in a single World Cup match.
Then, in the 76th minute, substitute Nico Gonzalez teed up Messi to complete the hat-trick. With the goal, Messi drew level with Klose at the summit of the all-time World Cup scoring charts. He raised his arms, looked to the sky, and let the moment wash over him as thousands of Argentina supporters roared his name.
Beyond the numbers
Since turning 35, Messi has scored 10 World Cup goals — more than Harry Kane, Diego Maradona, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Thierry Henry have each managed across their entire international careers at the tournament.
Former Everton midfielder Leon Osman captured the mood:
