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Lionel Messi continues to show why he is the best footballer in the world.
The Argentina star led his team to a 3-0 victory over Algeria in their opening 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage match on Tuesday evening. He scored all three of his team’s goals, notching the first hat trick of his World Cup career.
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Argentina’s Lionel Messi reacts after scoring his third goal during the World Cup Group J match against Algeria in Kansas City, Missouri, June 16, 2026. (Ed Zurga/AP Photo)
Those three goals brought him into a tie with Germany’s Miroslav Klose for the career World Cup scoring record. He burst into tears after scoring his first goal.
“My tears after the first goal? I had difficult days. It was not related to football. And these feelings were due to that,” Messi said after the match, without providing details. “I thank my teammates, the technical staff and the delegation for helping me.”
Messi was dealing with a hamstring injury, which plagued him for Inter Miami during the Major League Soccer season.
However, he looked good in a friendly against Iceland before the World Cup.
Argentina’s Lionel Messi smiles during the World Cup Group J soccer match against Algeria in Kansas City, Missouri, June 16, 2026. (Ed Zurga/AP)
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“This is my sixth World Cup and I still feel in good shape,” Messi said. “Fortunately, I am doing well and today we managed to win a difficult match. It is important to start the tournament with a victory in the first match, because it is never easy in the World Cup.”
Messi’s on-field exploits sparked a reaction from another superstar athlete – Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Mahomes posted a few goat emojis during Messi’s performance.
Messi is in his sixth World Cup, marking two decades of dominance on the pitch. He led Argentina to a World Cup title in 2022.
Argentina’s Lionel Messi celebrates with his teammates after scoring his team’s second goal during the World Cup Group J match against Algeria in Kansas City, Missouri, June 16, 2026. (Charlie Riedel/AP Photo)
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“It makes me very happy to have experienced everything that happened to me. What I’m experiencing now is the icing on the cake,” Messi said. “I am very happy and grateful for this wonderful group. I appreciate it so much.”
