Messi's first World Cup hat-trick ties all-time goal record as Argentina opens defense with 3-0 win

Messi's historic night

Argentina's defence of the World Cup got off to a dominant start as Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick against Algeria in Kansas City on Tuesday. The 38-year-old's three goals in the 3-0 win made him the joint highest scorer in men's World Cup history, matching Miroslav Klose's total of 16. It was the first hat-trick of the 2026 tournament and the 55th in competition history.

“Honestly [the record doesn't matter]. It's an honour to be there, for what it means to be next to Klose, [Brazilian] Ronaldo is also there. Mbappé too, he scored twice today. At the end of the day it's just a statistic and nothing more.”

The performance came 20 years to the day after Messi scored his first World Cup goal as a teenager against Serbia and Montenegro in 2006. On that occasion he became Argentina's youngest World Cup goalscorer; on Tuesday he became their oldest, surpassing Martin Palermo's record by more than two years.

20-year arc from teenager to record-breaker

Messi's journey from an 18-year-old substitute to a six-time World Cup participant and record-holder is one of constant evolution. The BBC notes he has reinvented his playing style at least five times, shifting from a dazzling winger to a deeper, more economical veteran who still dictates games.

“Messi things. I don't think I need to explain to you [what that means]. I think you just have to watch the game and then you'll know what I mean by Messi things. He can decide the game on his own, as we saw today.”

Miroslav Klose, whom Messi has now caught, had already conceded the record would fall. Klose told reporters last week he is a "huge Messi fan" and welcomed the Argentine to equal his mark. The German scored his 16 goals across four tournaments, while Messi reached the same figure in his sixth.

Toronto watch party cut short

A public viewing party at Nathan Phillips Square outside Toronto City Hall was ended early on Tuesday night because of fireworks and smoke flares in the crowd. Organisers cited public safety concerns, and screens were switched off shortly after Messi completed his hat-trick.

“On-site staff ended the Nathan Phillips Square viewing party earlier than scheduled on June 16 due to a public safety concern. The City of Toronto will continue to prioritize the safety of our attendees, staff and volunteers during our events.”

No security screening was conducted at the open-square event, though police and security personnel were present. Toronto is one of 16 host cities across the United States, Canada and Mexico and is scheduled to host five matches in total.

Hat-trick history

The term 'hat-trick' originates from cricket in 1858, when bowler H.H. Stephenson took three wickets in consecutive balls and was presented with a hat. It has since spread to hockey and football. The first World Cup hat-trick was scored by American Bert Patenaude against Paraguay in 1930, though FIFA did not officially recognise it for decades due to a scorer dispute.

Messi joins legends including Pelé, Eusebio, Gerd Müller, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappé as one of the 55 players to score a World Cup hat-trick. Only four men – Sándor Kocsis, Just Fontaine, Gerd Müller and Gabriel Batistuta – have done it more than once.