World Cup 2026: Messi sets three records after scoring hat-trick for Argentina against Algeria
Lionel Messi Sets Records in Argentina’s 3-0 Victory Over Algeria
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – In a standout performance early Thursday, Argentina captain Lionel Messi scored a hat trick to lead his team to a 3-0 victory against Algeria at the Kansas City Stadium.
Messi opened the scoring with a goal in the first half, followed by two additional goals in the second half, marking a pivotal moment in World Cup history. With this performance, Messi became the first player to score against eleven different national teams in World Cup matches. He surpassed the previous record held by Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazário and Germany’s Jürgen Klinsmann, both of whom had scored against ten teams.
At 38 years and 357 days old, Messi also became the oldest player to score multiple goals or complete a hat trick in a FIFA World Cup match. He broke the record previously held by Cameroon’s Roger Milla, who was 38 years and 38 days old when he scored in 1990.
Adding to the historic night, this match marked Messi’s 200th appearance for the Argentine national team, making him the player with the most caps in his country’s history.
Argentina will look to build on this success as they prepare to face Austria on Monday.
