KANSAS CITY, Kansas — Lionel Messi made history Tuesday night by tying the record for most World Cup goals at 16 with Miroslav Klose after scoring a hat trick to lead Argentina to a 3-0 win over Algeria.
The hat trick was Messi’s 11th of his international career, but first at the World Cup, and he is now the oldest player to score three goals in a game at the tournament. He came off late in the second half to a rousing ovation from the partisan Argentina crowd at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
When Messi took the field, he also became the first-ever player to feature in six World Cups during Argentina’s match — his 200th with the national team.
By playing in his sixth World Cup, Messi broke the record of five held by Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Antonio Carbajal, Andrés Guardado and Rafael Márquez (all Mexico) and Lothar Matthäus (Germany).
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Ronaldo should equal the mark of six World Cups in Portugal’s opener against Congo on Wednesday, with Messi beating him to it by a day.
Argentina earned the early lead in the first half, with a left-footed strike from just outside the area by Messi. He then scored twice in the second half to complete the hat trick and equal Klose’s record of 16 goals for Germany.
The goals came 20 years to the day that Messi made his World Cup debut for Argentina in a match against Serbia and Montenegro — he scored in that one, too — and made him only the second player to score in five editions of the tournament.
Argentina’s triumph also meant that Messi is tied for most World Cup victories with Klose at 17.
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It was the fifth straight World Cup game in which Messi has scored.
Argentina are among four teams making their base camp in the Kansas City metro, and much as it has the rest of the world, Messi-mania has swept through the area ever since La Albiceleste’s arrival about two weeks ago.
On match day, thousands of fans wearing his No. 10 jersey trekked into the home of the NFL’s Chiefs on the outskirts of Kansas City, singing odes to their hero from Rosario. Meanwhile, during a watch party at the downtown Power & Light District, a goat accompanied by former NFL quarterback-turned Fox broadcaster Jameis Winston came on stage wearing an Argentina jersey.
The humorous moment seemed to have foreshadowed a big night for Messi when he scored an hour later, and the argument that he is soccer’s GOAT – the greatest of all time – is becoming no argument at all with every World Cup goal he scores.
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Messi’s hat trick comes on a day when Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé both scored twice in wins for Norway and France, respectively, but the Argentine — on the cusp of moving ahead of Klose for most goals ever at the World Cup — was not to be outdone.
Argentina play Austria next in Dallas on June 22 before wrapping up group play against Jordan.
Information from The Associated Press and ESPN Global Research was used in the report.
