Messi was the first in history to play in six World Cups and became one of the top three scorers.

Argentine striker Lionel Messi set several records in his team's first match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Algeria. The captain of the Argentina national team became the first player in history to play in six world championships, and scored a hat-trick, which allowed him to become one of the top three scorers in the history of the tournament. The match took place on June 16 in Kansas City and ended with a score of 3:0 in favor of the reigning world champions. All the details are in the Izvestia material.

The sixth World Cup and the record for the number of matches

By joining the starting line-up against Algeria, 38-year-old Messi won his sixth World Cup. He previously competed at the World Championships in 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022. In addition, the captain of the Argentina national team surpassed his own record for the number of matches at the World Championships — now there are 27, and the player spent a total of 2404 minutes on the field at the World Championships.

A record-breaking hat-trick and a place in the list of scorers

In the 17th minute of the match, Messi scored his 14th goal at the World Championships. This ball allowed him to enter the top three scorers in the history of the tournament, equaling German Gerd Muller and Frenchman Kylian Mbappe. In total, Messi scored a hat-trick in the match, and his goals brought the Argentine national team victory over Algeria. Thus, in terms of the number of goals scored, Messi equaled the German Miroslav Klose (both have 16 goals). In addition, the Argentine became the oldest hat-trick winner in the history of the World Cup (38 years and 355 days).

Context and meaning

Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo is also announced for the 2026 World Cup and can repeat Messi's record for the number of tournaments played. The 41-year-old striker has scored eight goals in 22 matches. Argentina's match against Algeria was held in the group stage and became Messi's 200th in the national team. The 2026 World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19 in the USA, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.