Lionel Messi rewrites history books at record sixth World Cup

Messi scores three exactly 20 years to the day he made his World Cup debut for Argentina.

Argentina icon Lionel Messi has become the most decorated player of all time at the FIFA World Cup, scoring his maiden tournament hat-trick against Algeria in a match his side won 3-0, at a personal record sixth World Cup appearance.

The 38-year-old rewrote the history books from the minute he stepped onto the pitch at Kansas City Stadium for his 200th international appearance on Tuesday night.

Recommended Stories

• list 1 of 4Who are the Golden Boot favourites at World Cup 2026?
• list 2 of 4‘Pushing the limits’: Ageing stars make history at the 2026 World Cup
• list 3 of 4World Cup: Rating the chances of top European teams at the tournament
• list 4 of 4World Cup star power: Do Ronaldo & Messi still rule, or is Mbappe the guy?

Messi became the first man to play in six World Cups when he was named in Argentina’s starting XI, a record that will be shared by Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo on Wednesday, and Guillermo Ochoa, if the Mexican veteran goalkeeper is sent onto the pitch during the tournament.

Lionel Messi of Argentina celebrates scoring their second goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage match against Algeria in Kansas City, Missouri, US, on June 16, 2026 [Amy Kontras/EPA]

Messi’s first goal of the night came at 17 minutes and equalled Kylian Mbappe’s 14 goals at a World Cup, with the Frenchman having eclipsed the Argentinian just hours earlier in France’s 3-1 win over Senegal in New York.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner’s fairytale start to his sixth World Cup was slightly delayed, however, when his first goal in the fourth minute was overturned by the referee.

Still, Messi worked his magic and netted to the right of the goal after Algerian keeper Luca Zidane offered a rebound, making it Messi’s 15th World Cup goal.

Messi’s decades-long legacy at the tournament began when, at 18 years of age, he made his World Cup debut in 2006, the same year that Zidane’s father, French legend Zinedine Zidane, enjoyed his best run.

Whether it is a poetic sign from the universe or a tournament scheduling coincidence, Tuesday marked exactly 20 years to the day since Messi earned his first World Cup cap for Argentina against Serbia and Montenegro.

No sooner had Messi equalled the Brazilian Ronaldo’s record than he completed his hat-trick and matched Miroslav Klose’s record of 16 World Cup goals. It was also his 120th international career goal.

The Argentina captain was eventually substituted with Nico Paz and walked off the pitch as the crowd of nearly 70,000 gave him a standing ovation after being treated to a historic night of football.

Messi, who turns 39 next week, was Argentina’s youngest World Cup scorer and is now the oldest World Cup hat-trick scorer, a title he snatched from Ronaldo, who he scored three times against Spain in 2018.

The South American legend also became the first player to score in five consecutive World Cup matches, with the latest being only his first in the 2026 edition.

With the defending champions launching their campaign in style, Messi will get the opportunity to shatter more records when Argentina take on Austria on Monday in Dallas, before facing Jordan in their last group game on June 27 .

Should Messi lead the Albiceleste to a successful title defence, he will become the first Argentinian captain to achieve the feat, one not even the great Diego Maradona could claim.