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orywireLionel Messi scored a hat trick in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria, but he did not break Miroslav Klose’s men’s World Cup goals record. Messi is now tied with Klose at 16 goals.
Lionel Messi did not break the men’s World Cup goals record; he tied it. Messi’s first World Cup hat trick lifted him to 16 career goals in the men’s tournament, level with Miroslav Klose, as Argentina beat Algeria 3-0 in Group J in Kansas City.
No. Messi tied Klose’s men’s World Cup record, according to Reuters and the Associated Press. The record would become Messi’s outright if he scores again later in the tournament.
The result also gave Argentina three points to open its title defense. ESPN listed the match as Argentina 3, Algeria 0, played at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.
Messi scored in the 17th, 60th and 76th minutes, Reuters reported. His first goal came after a Rodrigo De Paul pass, the second followed a rebound after an Alexis Mac Allister shot, and the third came from a Nico Gonzalez setup.
It was Messi’s first hat trick at a World Cup. The Associated Press reported that the match was also his 200th international appearance and his record sixth World Cup.
Reuters also reported that Messi became the oldest player to score a World Cup hat trick. The performance came 20 years after his first World Cup goal, adding another record-layered moment to Argentina’s opening match.
The comparison is simple: Messi and Klose are tied at the top of the men’s World Cup scoring list on 16 goals.
FIFA’s historical top scorers page lists Klose’s 16-goal mark as the benchmark. Brazil’s Ronaldo is next on 15, one behind Messi and Klose.
Messi entered the 2026 tournament with 13 World Cup goals. The three against Algeria moved him from chasing the record to sharing it.
Argentina started Group J with the result it needed: a clean 3-0 win and no dropped points. The defending champion avoided the kind of opening stumble it had in 2022, when it lost its first match before recovering to win the tournament.
The group is still early, so the result does not settle qualification. But it gives Argentina control of its start and gives Messi another chance to pass Klose if he plays and scores in the next match.
Argentina’s next World Cup match is against Austria on June 22, Reuters reported. That is Messi’s next chance to move alone atop the men’s World Cup goals list.
The record table should be refreshed after Argentina’s next match, or sooner if FIFA changes the official match report or scoring summary.
Mexico beat South Africa 2-0 in the 2026 World Cup opener, with Julian Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez scoring and three players sent off. Here are the final score, red cards and next Group A matches.
The United States opens its 2026 World Cup against Paraguay on Friday, June 12, at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT from Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood, California. FOX has the English-language broadcast, with Telemundo and Peacock carrying Spanish-language coverage.
Mexico and South Africa open the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday, June 11, at 3 p.m. ET. The opener airs on FOX in English and Telemundo in Spanish, with streaming listed on FOX One, Tubi and Peacock.
