Lionel Messi delivered a masterclass, scoring a sensational hat‑trick that led Argentina to a 3‑0 victory over Algeria at Kansas City Stadium in the debut of the 2026 World Cup, eliciting an immediate reaction from Norwegian striker Erling Haaland.
“Messi is a madman,” the Manchester City forward posted on Snapchat, adding a crown emoji in tribute to the Argentine captain’s magical night.
With that spectacular hat‑trick, Messi shattered Cristiano Ronaldo’s record as the oldest player to score a World Cup hat‑trick. While the Portuguese icon had set the previous milestone at 33 during a 3‑3 draw against Spain at the 2018 tournament, Messi raised the bar by achieving the feat at 38.
Messi’s legendary performance also rewrote history, as the Argentine star matched Miroslav Klose as the all‑time leading scorer in World Cup history with 16 goals.
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