Lionel Messi made World Cup history by becoming the oldest player ever to score a hat-trick in a World Cup. The Argentina captain, aged 38 years and 359 days, was the great figure in the victory over Algeria (3-0), in the first round of the group stage of the 2026 World Cup.
With this performance, Messi surpassed the previous record held by Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored three goals against Spain (3-3) in the 2018 World Cup, at the age of 33 years and 130 days.
The three goals scored against Algeria also allowed the Argentine to reach 16 goals in World Cups, equaling Miroslav Klose at the top of the list of top scorers in the history of the competition. However, the fight for the record remains open, with Kylian Mbappé closing in after scoring twice in the previous round.
All three of Leo Messi’s goals in his first career FIFA World Cup hat trick
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports)
