Messi Hat Trick Ties Klose's World Cup Goals Record
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- Messi scored a hat trick in Argentina's 3-0 group-stage win over Algeria at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, tying Miroslav Klose's men's World Cup goals record at 16.
- Messi, at 38, became the oldest player to score three goals in a World Cup match and the first player to feature in six World Cups, breaking the mark of five held by Cristiano Ronaldo, Antonio Carbajal, Andrés Guardado, Rafael Márquez, and Lothar Matthäus.
- The goals came exactly 20 years to the day after Messi's World Cup debut against Serbia and Montenegro in 2006, where he also scored, making him only the second player to score in five editions of the tournament.
- Messi downplayed the record, telling reporters stats are "nothing more" and notably refusing to rank Ronaldo atop the all-time list: "for me, Ronaldo... is not at the top."
- Messi was left in tears after his first goal, later saying the emotion was "completely unrelated to football" and crediting teammates and staff for helping him through "some difficult days."
- With the win, Messi is now tied with Klose for the most men's World Cup victories at 17.
- The game came on a day when Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé each scored twice in wins for Norway and France respectively, with Messi — per the article — "not to be outdone."
Why it matters: At 38, Messi keeps setting records no one else has approached: he is the first player to appear in six World Cups, and his 16th goal pulled him level with Klose's all-time mark. With 17 World Cup wins also tying Klose, Messi's case as soccer's GOAT now rests on the tournament's grandest stat sheet.
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