Lionel Messi, Argentina, Algeria, Lionel Scaloni
17 June 2026
Lionel Messi scored his first World Cup hat-trick as Argentina beat Algeria 3-0 in their title defence opener. The 38-year-old also became the first man to play at six World Cups on his 200th Argentina appearance.
Messi curled in the opener, punished a goalkeeping error for his second and completed the hat-trick from Nico Gonzalez’s pass. The treble moved him level with Miroslav Klose on 16 World Cup goals, matching the tournament record.