A Hat Trick, a Record, and a Few Tears Along the Way
Messi scored three times as Argentina beat Algeria 3-0 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, pulling level with Germany's Miroslav Klose as the all-time leading scorer in men's World Cup history. Both now stand at 16 goals. It was Messi's 11th international hat trick but his first ever at a World Cup — and at 38 years old, he became the oldest player to achieve that feat at the tournament.

The first goal, a left-footed strike from just outside the penalty area in the first half, left Messi in tears. He was asked about it afterward. "It was something completely unrelated to football," he said. "I went through some difficult days, but I'm grateful to the entire delegation and my teammates because they were always by my side, giving me a lot of strength to help me get through it."

It was also his 200th appearance for the national team — a milestone that arrived alongside another one. This was Messi's sixth World Cup, making him the first player in history to feature in that many. He surpassed the previous record of five, held jointly by Cristiano Ronaldo, Mexico's Antonio Carbajal, Andrés Guardado and Rafael Márquez, and Germany's Lothar Matthäus. The goals also marked exactly 20 years since Messi's World Cup debut against Serbia and Montenegro — a match in which he scored as well. He is now only the second player ever to score in five different editions of the tournament.

Argentina's Crown Jewel Shines Brightest When It Matters Most
There had been genuine concern about Messi's fitness heading into the tournament. He came off early in his final club appearance for Inter Miami in May, citing muscle fatigue, and the questions about whether the 38-year-old could still carry a team deep into a World Cup were very much alive. Tuesday night put those doubts to rest — at least for now.

His teammates were not surprised, even if they were in awe. "There are no words to describe him," said Alexis Mac Allister. "If anyone thought this team was better without Leo, today it was proven that the opposite is true." Rodrigo De Paul, who plays alongside Messi at Inter Miami, put it simply: "He doesn't care about individual records. He prioritizes the group, and for us, it's incredible."

Messi was measured in how he spoke about tying Klose's record, acknowledging Brazil's Ronaldo and France's Kylian Mbappé — who scored twice against his own opponents on the same night — in the same breath. "It's an honor to compete with them, but it doesn't mean anything," he said. "At the end of the day, they are stats and nothing more."

Argentina's win also tied Messi with Klose for the most World Cup victories at 17. Defending champions Argentina will face Austria in Dallas on June 22, before closing out group play against Jordan.