Lionel Messi Makes History with Hat-Trick at 2026 FIFA World Cup
Messi's Historic Night at Kansas City Stadium
On Tuesday night, Kansas City Stadium was filled with 69,045 fans who witnessed an extraordinary moment as Lionel Messi, hailed as the greatest footballer of all time, achieved a remarkable milestone.
Exactly two decades after he became Argentina's youngest FIFA World Cup goalscorer on June 16, 2006, Messi scored again on the same date, this time as the oldest player to do so for his nation. In the 2006 tournament, an 18-year-old Messi made his mark by assisting Hernán Crespo and scoring himself, setting a record as Argentina's youngest scorer. Fast forward 20 years, and he celebrated this anniversary with his first-ever World Cup hat-trick, leading Argentina to a 3-0 win against Algeria in Kansas City.
At 38 years old and captaining Argentina in the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup, Messi struck a powerful left-footed volley in the 17th minute, marking a significant achievement. Although he had an opportunity to score earlier in the 4th minute, that goal was disallowed for offside, prolonging the anticipation for his historic strike.
With tears of joy, Messi understood the importance of his opening goal. This marked his 16th World Cup goal, tying him with German great Miroslav Klose for the most goals in World Cup history. With more matches to come, Messi has the opportunity to break this record. Over six World Cups and an impressive 20-year career, he has demonstrated remarkable longevity and passion for the sport. This match also marked his 200th appearance for Argentina, made even more memorable by his hat-trick. Additionally, he surpassed Cristiano Ronaldo's record as the oldest player to score a hat-trick in World Cup history. His second goal came from a close-range finish after a rebound from Mac Allister's shot, and he completed his hat-trick in the 76th minute with a skillful curling shot after initiating the play himself.
After the match, Messi reflected on his emotional moment, explaining that his tears were not solely related to football. He shared that he had faced a tough time leading up to Argentina's opening match, expressing gratitude towards his teammates for their unwavering support. "I went through some difficult, complicated days. I’m grateful to the entire delegation, to my teammates. They were always there for me, as always. They gave me a lot of strength to get through this, and that’s all," Messi stated. He acknowledged the significance of being mentioned alongside legends like Klose and Ronaldo but emphasized that it was just a statistic. "While it’s an honour to compete with all of them, it doesn’t mean anything to me. Ronaldo, from what I saw, was one of the greatest and he’s not in first place, so it all comes down to a statistic."