3 min readJun 17, 2026 10:40 AM IST
Lionel Messi kick-started his record sixth World Cup appearance with a sensational performance as Argentina routed Algeria in their Group I opener in Kansas City on the back of their talisman’s hat-trick on Tuesday night.
Exactly 20 years since making his World Cup debut where he became Argentina’s youngest-ever World Cup scorer, Messi dazzled in his 200th international appearance, setting up a fiery start for the reigning world champions.
Messi’s first goal came in the 17th minute, curling a left-footed shot past Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane (the son of French legend Zinedine Zidane) from open play outside the box. The second goal came in a canter, after a teammate took a shot at goal, Zidane could not collect it and ended up sending it back into to play where Messi was at hand to seal the goal with a tap in.
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Messi netted a record hat-trick in the 76th minute, where he clinically finished off some good build up play from his teammates. Just over a minute after he had completed his first hat-trick in World Cup history, Messi was subbed off to a standing ovation.
Three goals. One genius. Same old Messi magic. 🐐🇦🇷
Watch all 3 and tell me which one was your favorite. 👀✨ pic.twitter.com/0DcdJedVgJ
— Tobs Futball (@futball_lover01) June 17, 2026
Records tumble
The 38-year-old Messi edged out his long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo to become the oldest man to net a World Cup hat-trick. Ronaldo acheived the feat in 2018 at 33 years old.
Messi also bagged his 11th hat-trick in the Argentine shirt, overhauling Ronaldo’s tally of 10 hat-tricks to record the most hat-trick in men’s international football. Moreover, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner also equalled Germany’s Miroslav Klose as the joint-highest scorer in World Cup history.
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Most international hat-tricks
| Player | Span | Hat-tricks |
| Lionel Messi (Argentina) | 2012–2026 | 11 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal | 2013–2021 | 10 |
| Sven Rydell (Sweden) | 1924–1932 | 9 |
| Ali Mabkhout (UAE) | 2012–2021 | 9 |
| Poul Nielsen (Norway) | 1913–1921 | 8 |
| Gerd Müller (Germany) | 1967–1972 | 8 |
Messi full list of international hat-tricks
Messi’s latest hat-trick was the 61st hat-trick of his professional career, including club and country, five behind Ronaldo’s tally of 66 hat-tricks.
| Date | Team | Opposition | Score | Tournament | Goals |
| 29/02/2012 | Argentina | Switzerland | 3-1 | Friendly | 3 |
| 09/06/2012 | Argentina | Brazil | 4-3 | Friendly | 3 |
| 15/06/2013 | Argentina | Guatemala | 4-0 | Friendly | 3 |
| 11/06/2016 | Argentina | Panama | 5-0 | Copa America | 3 |
| 11/10/2017 | Argentina | Ecuador | 3-1 | World Cup Qualifier | 3 |
| 30/05/2018 | Argentina | Haiti | 4-0 | Friendly | 3 |
| 10/09/2021 | Argentina | Bolivia | 3-0 | World Cup Qualifier | 3 |
| 05/06/2022 | Argentina | Estonia | 5-0 | Friendly | 5 |
| 28/03/2023 | Argentina | Curacao | 7-0 | Friendly | 3 |
| 15/10/2024 | Argentina | Bolivia | 6-0 | World Cup Qualifier | 3 |
| 17/06/2026 | Argentina | Algeria | 3-0 | World Cup 2026 | 3 |
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