Lionel Messi made history on Tuesday by scoring his first World Cup hat trick and tying Miroslav Klose’s record for most men’s World Cup goals at 16, leading Argentina to a 3-0 win over Algeria. This marked the 11th hat trick of Messi’s international career but his first at the World Cup — At 38, he became the oldest player to score three goals in a game at the tournament.

Historic Milestones and Records

Messi’s performance in Kansas City. Missouri, at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, included his 200th appearance for the Argentina national team. He became the first player to feature in six World Cups, surpassing the record held by Cristiano Ronaldo, Antonio Carbajal, Andrés Guardado, Rafael Márquez, and Lothar Matthäus. His first goal came in the fifth minute, though it was disallowed for offside — Twelve minutes later, he scored to give Argentina the lead with his 14th World Cup goal. He completed the hat trick with two more goals in the second half, tying Klose’s record.

According to ESPN, Messi was substituted late in the second half to a rousing ovation from the partisan Argentina crowd. He said after the game: ‘It’s an honor being up there for what it means, being alongside Klose and [Brazil’s] Ronaldo, who is there also. But it doesn’t mean anything. [Kylian] Mbappé is there, too, he scored twice today. At the end of the day, they are stats and nothing more.’

Media and Public Reaction

The international press was effusive in its praise for Messi. The Guardian called him the ‘greatest footballer in history,’ while the New York Times noted that Messi is in his best form in years. Corriere dello Sport wrote, ‘Leo Messi, you are a spectacle,’ and Pagina12 stated, ‘Messi has written history again.’ According to Goal.com, Argentina’s manager, Lionel Scaloni, expressed amazement at Messi’s performance, saying, ‘It’s hard to explain. We’re amazed with him still, though we get to see him every day.’

Algeria’s manager, Vladimir Petković, also acknowledged Messi’s brilliance despite the loss: ‘Class is permanent. We’re not talking about any old footballer. He’s got eight Ballon D’Ors.’

Messi’s Career Stats and Legacy

Messi now has 16 career World Cup goals, tying Miroslav Klose for the most ever. He also has 120 goals in international play, second only to Cristiano Ronaldo’s 143. According to FOX Sports, Messi is now the oldest player in men’s World Cup history to record a brace and a hat trick at 38 years, 357 days old. This surpasses Ronaldo’s record for the oldest hat trick in a World Cup match, which was set at 33 in 2018.

Messi’s hat trick was Argentina’s fifth all-time in World Cup history, just one behind Germany. It was also his first in a World Cup match and the third time he’s scored at least two goals in a World Cup game. The New York Times noted that Messi’s performance is difficult to quantify in numbers alone, calling it a ‘magical night.’