Messi the Record Wrecker: Hat-trick at 38 levels Klose's all-time World Cup mark
Lionel Messi scored three against Algeria to equal the all-time World Cup scoring record — and he's only just getting started.
⚽ Play today's FootWord while you read — freeLionel Messi put on a masterclass in Kansas City as Argentina dismantled Algeria 3-0, with the 38-year-old captain bagging all three goals in a dominant Group J opener.
The hat-trick makes Messi the oldest player ever to score three in a single World Cup match, surpassing a record that had stood in Cristiano Ronaldo's name since Russia 2018. At 38, he is rewriting the record books in real time.
The three goals also move him level with Germany's Miroslav Klose as the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history with 16 career goals. Argentina still have Austria and Jordan to play in Group J, putting the outright record firmly within reach.
Messi leads the Golden Boot race on three goals, ahead of Mbappé, Haaland and Kane on two. The defending champions look ominous.
⚽ Daily FootWord — guess today's football word