Argentina captain Lionel Messi delivered another unforgettable World Cup performance in the early hours of Wednesday, scoring a brilliant hat-trick in his side’s 3-0 victory over Algeria and rewriting football history in the process.
The veteran forward inspired Argentina to a comfortable win at Kansas City Stadium, opening the scoring in the first half before adding two more goals after the break to complete a memorable night.
But beyond securing all three points for the defending champions, Messi’s performance saw him achieve three major milestones on the global stage.
First, the Inter Miami star became the first player in FIFA World Cup history to score against 11 different national teams, setting a new record.
In doing so, Messi moved ahead of former record holders Ronaldo Nazário of Brazil and Germany legend Jürgen Klinsmann, who had each scored against 10 different countries at the tournament.
The night also produced another landmark moment for the Argentine icon.
At 38 years and 357 days old, Messi became the oldest player ever to score multiple goals and record a hat-trick in a FIFA World Cup match, surpassing the long-standing mark previously held by Cameroon legend Roger Milla.
To crown an already historic evening, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner also reached another personal milestone by making his 200th appearance for Argentina, extending his record as the country’s most-capped player.
The achievement added another chapter to a career already regarded as one of the greatest in football history.
With momentum building, Messi and Argentina will now turn their attention to their next World Cup fixture against Austria next Monday as they continue their quest for another global title.
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