No man in history has scored more World Cup goals than Lionel Messi.
On the same night he became the first player to feature in six World Cups, the Argentina icon made an indelible mark on this summer’s competition by recording the first World Cup hat-trick of his career in the Albiceleste’s 3-0 win over Algeria on Tuesday.
The three goals moved him to 16 all time at the World Cup, level with former Germany striker Miroslav Klose for the most in tournament history.
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Messi, playing in his record-extending 27th World Cup match and 200th overall for Argentina, wasn’t even a guarantee to start the Group J opener going into the tournament due to a lingering hamstring issue.
He certainly looked 100% in front of a raucous pro-Argentina crowd in Kansas City, scoring once in the first half before adding two more after the interval.
“At a loss for words about Leo. What can I say? He’s incredible,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said, according to Dave Skretta of The Associated Press. “Everyone in football wants to see him and enjoys it.”
World Cup scoring leaders
Messi, who turns 39 next week, is the oldest player ever to score a World Cup hat-trick, swiping the record away from Cristiano Ronaldo.
He’s also both Argentina’s youngest- and oldest-ever World Cup scorer.
Tuesday’s treble came 20 years to the day after he made his World Cup debut as a long-haired 19-year-old in 2006, when he notched the first World Cup tally of his career against Serbia and Montenegro.
Messi’s first chance to break his tie with Klose and stand alone on the World Cup scoring chart comes next Monday when the reigning champion takes on Austria. Argentina will finish off group play on June 27 against Jordan.
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