The record may not remain shared for long
At thirty-eight years old and in his sixth World Cup, Lionel Messi finally claimed the one milestone that had somehow escaped him across two decades of football's grandest stage — a hat-trick in the tournament itself. Three goals against Algeria in the 2026 opener drew him level with Miroslav Klose's all-time World Cup scoring record of sixteen goals, a mark that had stood since 2014. It is the nature of long careers that certain gaps feel inexplicable until the moment they are closed, and in closing this one, Messi reminded the world that even the most complete résumés can still find room for something new.
- A record that survived twelve years and seemed destined to outlast Messi's career was suddenly, quietly, equalled in a single evening.
- The hat-trick — Messi's first in World Cup history despite legendary status — arrived not with desperation but with the unsettling composure of someone who had simply been waiting for the right moment.
- At thirty-eight, in what is almost certainly his final World Cup, Messi is no longer chasing history from behind — he is standing at its threshold.
- Kylian Mbappé trails by two goals at fourteen, keeping the record race alive and ensuring the tournament's defining narrative has more than one protagonist.
- With group matches and potential knockout rounds still ahead, the outright record is not a dream — it is a scheduling question.
Lionel Messi is thirty-eight years old, in his sixth World Cup, and on Thursday against Algeria he scored the hat-trick that had eluded him for two decades of international football. The third goal — a low, precise curl from the edge of the area — brought him to sixteen World Cup goals, drawing level with Miroslav Klose, the German whose record had stood untouched since 2014.
The move was characteristically unhurried. Messi glided through midfield, released Nico Gonzalez down the left, received the return pass, and finished with the kind of inevitability that has always defined him. What made the moment striking was not the technique but the gap it finally closed — a World Cup hat-trick had never appeared in a collection that includes eight Ballon d'Or awards, Argentina's all-time caps and goals records, and a World Cup winner's medal from Qatar in 2022.
Klose's record, accumulated across four tournaments between 2002 and 2014, now feels genuinely vulnerable. Messi has at least two more group matches and potentially several knockout rounds remaining. The outright record is a realistic prospect within weeks, not a distant ambition.
His World Cup story spans an unusual arc — teenage debut in Germany in 2006, triumph in Qatar in 2022, and now North America in 2026, still decisive at the highest level. Kylian Mbappé, at fourteen goals, remains in contention and ensures the record race has more than one voice. But for now, the question belongs to Messi: how many more?
Lionel Messi, thirty-eight years old and in his sixth World Cup, finally scored the hat-trick that had eluded him across two decades of international football. It happened on Thursday against Algeria in Argentina's opening match of the 2026 tournament, and when his third goal curled into the bottom corner—a low, precise finish from the edge of the penalty area—it meant something larger than the result. He had reached sixteen World Cup goals, drawing level with Miroslav Klose, the German striker whose record had stood untouched since 2014.
The hat-trick itself was vintage Messi. The move began near midfield, where he glided past defenders and released Nico Gonzalez down the left flank. Gonzalez returned the ball to his captain, and from there the outcome felt predetermined. Messi curled it home with the kind of composure that has defined his career—not desperate, not forced, but inevitable.
What made the moment remarkable was not just the goal itself but what it represented in the arc of his career. Messi is a World Cup winner. He has eight Ballon d'Or awards. He holds Argentina's records for caps and goals. Yet until Thursday, a World Cup hat-trick had never been part of that collection. The gap seemed almost impossible to explain, given everything else he had accomplished on football's largest stage. Now it was closed.
Klose's record, which had seemed untouchable, suddenly felt vulnerable. Messi has guaranteed at least two more group matches ahead and potentially several knockout rounds beyond that. The opportunity to become the tournament's outright leading scorer is not a distant prospect—it is a realistic possibility within the next few weeks. The German's sixteen goals, accumulated across four World Cups between 2002 and 2014, may not remain the standard for long.
Messi's World Cup journey has spanned an unusual length. He debuted as a teenager in Germany in 2006, won the trophy in Qatar in 2022, and now finds himself in North America in 2026, still among the most influential players in international football despite being in the final chapter of his career. He has scored in six different World Cups—a feat that speaks to both his longevity and his consistency at the highest level.
Others remain in the conversation. Kylian Mbappé of France currently has fourteen World Cup goals and is positioned to challenge the record as the tournament progresses. But for now, the spotlight belongs to Messi and to the question of whether he will add another record to an already crowded shelf. If his performance against Algeria is any indication, the answer may come sooner rather than later.
Citações Notáveis
Messi has now scored in six different World Cups and remains one of the most influential players in international football despite being in the twilight of his career— Match reporting
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why does a hat-trick matter so much when he's already the joint-leading scorer?
Because it's the last thing missing. He's won everything, earned every individual honor, but never scored three in a World Cup. It's the kind of gap that nags at a legacy, even when the legacy is already extraordinary.
At thirty-eight, is he still the most dangerous player on the field?
Against Algeria he was. The way he set up that third goal—the movement, the vision, the finish—it looked like someone who still understands the game better than anyone around him. Age matters less when you're that intelligent a player.
Can he actually break Klose's record before the tournament ends?
Mathematically, yes. He needs just one more goal and he has at least two group matches left, probably more. The real question is whether he stays healthy and whether Argentina keeps advancing.
What does this say about Messi's place in football history?
That even at the end of his career, he's still writing the story. Most players fade. He's still adding chapters.
Is Mbappé a real threat to catch him?
Mbappé is fourteen goals behind with the whole tournament ahead. It's possible, but Messi just showed he's not slowing down. The race is on, but Messi has the momentum.