Messi hat – Lionel Messi scored a hat trick against Algeria on June 16, lifting Argentina to a 3-0 win and tying the all-time men’s World Cup record with 16 goals—pushing him level with Miroslav Klose just days into the tournament.
Lionel Messi didn’t just open Argentina’s World Cup. He rewrote the scoring timeline in the middle of it.
On Tuesday night. June 16. Messi netted three times in Argentina’s World Cup opener against Algeria. finishing with a hat trick and sending the defending champions to a 3-0 win. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner reached 16 men’s World Cup goals in his career. tying him as co-leading scorer in the tournament’s history.
The match felt like a sudden turn in a race that had looked out of reach earlier that day. Messi had been trailing Miroslav Klose of Germany by three goals for the record before he stepped onto the pitch. By the time he exited after scoring all three, he was no longer chasing the number—he was sharing it.
It was also his first World Cup hat trick, a milestone that came when Argentina needed it most.
His rise wasn’t happening in a vacuum. Earlier on Tuesday, France star Kylian Mbappé scored two goals against Senegal, moving to 14 World Cup goals. Mbappé is nearly 12 years younger than Messi, giving him a clear runway to eventually overtake the record.
There was another reminder that the men’s scoring chart isn’t the only one that matters. Brazil legend Marta holds the overall World Cup scoring record with 17 goals in her six Women’s World Cup appearances.
Messi’s night carried more than one kind of historical weight. He became the first man ever to play in six World Cups when the match kicked off. His longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo is set to join him when Portugal faces DR Congo on Wednesday.
Argentina now has the record within reach again. Messi will have a chance to break the tie in Argentina’s next game against Austria on Monday, June 22.
For readers tracking the leaderboard. the men’s World Cup goals record list places Miroslav Klose and Lionel Messi at 16. Ronaldo and Gerd Muller at 15. and Kylian Mbappé at 14. followed by other former leaders including Gerd Muller’s West Germany record and several others listed down to Thomas Muller. Grzergorz Lato. and Helmut Rahn.
Lionel Messi Argentina Algeria World Cup hat trick Miroslav Klose Kylian Mbappé Cristiano Ronaldo DR Congo Austria June 16 World Cup goals record
So Messi tied the record already? That’s wild, I didn’t even know he was that close.
Messi hat trick against Algeria… cool cool. But why are they always talking about records like it matters more than winning the whole thing lol. Also I thought Mbappe already had more goals? My feed is confusing.
Wait so he was “trailing” Klose by three goals, but then he got 3 in one game and now he’s tied? That math seems too easy. Like what if Klose scored after or something? Not trying to be rude, just feels off.
I don’t even watch soccer but I keep seeing Messi everywhere. Now it says he’ll break the tie vs Austria, so Austria is basically doomed? And also it mentioned Marta with 17 goals like ok yes women’s record too. Meanwhile Ronaldo plays DR Congo and I’m like why is that country always showing up in sports headlines??