Lionel Messi Matches All-Time World Cup Goal Record With Opening Match Hat-Trick

Messi ties Miro Klose for World Cup record.

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated Jun 171 min read

🌎🇦🇷 Argentina win their opening game with Lionel Messi making World Cup history! 💥 Messi hat-trick means he’s joint TOP Via @FabrizioRomano on X

What happened: Lionel Messi has equaled the record for the most goals in World Cup history during Argentina's opening tournament fixture. The captain netted three times against Algeria to reach 16 career goals in the competition.

Why it matters: The hat-trick pulls Messi level with Germany's Miro Klose at the top of the all-time scoring charts. By reaching the milestone, he moves past football legends Kylian Mbappé, Gerd Müller, and Ronaldo Nazário. The performance marks a historic start to his sixth World Cup campaign.

By the numbers: World Cup All-Time Scoring Leaders: 1. Miroslav Klose (16), 1. Lionel Messi (16), 3. Ronaldo (15), 4. Kylian Mbappé (14), 4. Gerd Müller (14).

What to watch: Argentina continues its group stage journey with Messi now one goal away from sole possession of the all-time record. All eyes remain on the captain as he seeks to pull ahead in the coming matches.

Sources

@FabrizioRomano 2026-06-17T03:02:24.212898+00:00

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