Kansas City: Lionel Messi has rewritten the World Cup record books after scoring the first tournament hat-trick of his career during Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Algeria. The Argentina captain achieved the milestone during his record sixth World Cup appearance, becoming the first player in history to feature in six editions of the competition.
The 38-year-old reached another landmark when he stepped onto the pitch for his 200th international appearance. Messi’s opening goal of the evening came in the 17th minute and moved him level with Kylian Mbappe on 14 World Cup goals before he continued adding to his tally later in the match.
Although an early effort was disallowed, Messi quickly made his mark by converting a rebound after a save from Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane. The goal became his 15th in World Cup history and further strengthened his position among the tournament’s greatest scorers.
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The historic night carried additional significance as it came exactly 20 years after Messi made his World Cup debut for Argentina in 2006 against Serbia and Montenegro. The latest performance also saw the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner equal Miroslav Klose’s record of 16 World Cup goals and reach 120 international goals for Argentina.
Messi completed his hat-trick before receiving a standing ovation from nearly 70,000 spectators when substituted late in the match. The achievement also made him the oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick, surpassing the previous record held by Brazilian legend Ronaldo.
The Lionel Messi masterclass helped defending champions Argentina begin their campaign with confidence and moved the team closer to the knockout stage. With group matches against Austria and Jordan still to come, Messi now has further opportunities to extend his remarkable collection of records and strengthen his World Cup legacy.
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