Lionel Messi scored a hat trick in Argentina's 3-0 victory over Algeria during the World Cup opener. This performance tied him with German legend Miroslav Klose for the most World Cup goals in history with 16. Messi expressed emotion after scoring the opening goal, acknowledging personal challenges. The 39-year-old completed the hat trick in front of a large crowd, marking the 20th anniversary of his World Cup debut. Coach Lionel Scaloni and teammate Rodrigo De Paul praised Messi's leadership and contribution to the team.
Tuesday’s World Cup action may have provided the best day of the young tournament. While all the favorites dominated in expected fashion, the stars of the sport put on brilliant performances, with one even altering the history books.
France’s Kylian Mbappé, Norway’s Erling Haaland, and Argentina’s Lionel Messi all powered their country to strong victories in their opening matches with all scoring at least two goals apiece. However, the legendary Messi one-upped both of the young superstars with a hat trick that lifted his legacy to yet another level.
The moment of the day, and of the tournament so far, came in the reigning World Cup champion Argentina’s first game. In its quest to be the third team ever to win back-to-back tournaments, the first since Brazil in 1958 and 1962, Argentina, led by Messi, put on a show.
One of the greatest players in the history of the sport scored all three goals for Argentina in its 3-0 win over Algeria. Messi, who turns 39 next week, earned his first career World Cup hat trick 20 years after his first-ever World Cup goal. This catapulted him into a tie for first in total goals in World Cup history with Germany’s Miroslav Klose, a record Messi will likely break later in the tournament.
FIFA WORLD CUP HAT TRICK FOR MESSI! 🇦🇷
Lionel Messi ties Miroslav Klose for the most goals in Men’s FIFA World Cup history with 16 🐐 pic.twitter.com/vw6bl65w7s
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 17, 2026
In the first game on Tuesday, France beat Senegal 3-1. After a surprisingly scoreless first half, the French phenom Mbappé scored the first goal of the match during the 66th minute, putting him at fourth all-time in World Cup goals. At the time, the goal tied him with Messi, who has played in three more tournaments than Mbappé.
Bradley Barcola got on the board for France in the 82nd minute, extending the lead to two goals. In the fifth minute of added time, Senegal was able to get on the board thanks to Ibrahim Mbaye. In a tournament where goal differential can be so important, however, Mbappé scored an amazing second goal to finish the game 3-1, making him the all-time leader in goals for the country.
Absolute GOLAZO from Mbappé! 🇫🇷
Kylian Mbappé is now France’s ALL-TIME leading goalscorer pic.twitter.com/5phfectcIY
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 16, 2026
In Norway’s first appearance in the World Cup since 1998, Haaland stole the show. He scored the first two goals of the tournament for his country in a highly anticipated World Cup debut. While Iraq’s Aymen Hussein scored at the 39th minute between the two Norwegian goals, Norway was able to pull away with two goals, including an own goal from Hussein in the sixth minute of stoppage time.
The final match took place at midnight Eastern time, as Austria and Jordan faced off in San Francisco. Austria proved why they were the heavy favorite, winning 3-1 following a penalty kick goal by Marko Arnautovic in the 12th minute of added time in the second half to extend its lead back to two.
Argentina and France proved why they are some of the favorites of the 2026 World Cup, while Norway put its offensive power on display.
More global soccer giants start their World Cup runs Wednesday afternoon.
Portugal takes on the Democratic Republic of Congo in Cristiano Ronaldo’s final chance to win the one trophy he has yet to earn in his illustrious career. England’s quest for its first World Cup in 60 years starts against Croatia.
The final two games of the day feature Ghana taking on Panama, and Colombia, who many see as a “sleeper” team in this year’s World Cup, going up against Uzbekistan.
Only time will tell if Wednesday’s slate of games can live up to the dominance that the stars of soccer put on for fans on Tuesday.
Read the full article at The Daily Wire →Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick against Algeria in the World Cup, becoming the joint top scorer in tournament history.
Bias read (Center): The article reports on a sports event without political commentary or bias. The focus is purely on the athletic achievement of Lionel Messi.
The article highlights Lionel Messi's historic hat trick during Argentina's 3-0 victory over Algeria in the World Cup. It notes Messi's achievement of tying Miroslav Klose for the most goals in World Cup history and discusses his performance alongside other top players like Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland.
Bias read (Center): The article provides a factual account of Messi's performance without overtly favoring any political perspective. It focuses on sports achievements and does not include commentary or framing that suggests a political bias.
Official sources cited
Lionel Messi scored a hat trick in Argentina's 3-0 victory over Algeria during the World Cup opener. This performance tied him with German legend Miroslav Klose for the most World Cup goals in history with 16. Messi expressed emotion after scoring the opening goal, acknowledging personal challenges. The 39-year-old completed the hat trick in front of a large crowd, marking the 20th anniversary of his World Cup debut. Coach Lionel Scaloni and teammate Rodrigo De Paul praised Messi's leadership and contribution to the team.
Bias read (Center): The article focuses on a sports event and provides factual details about Messi's performance without taking a political stance or showing bias toward any political ideology. The content is centered around athletic achievement and does not involve political commentary or controversy.
Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick for Argentina against Algeria in a 3-0 victory during the World Cup. This performance allowed Messi to tie Miroslav Klose's record for most goals in World Cup history. The match took place in Kansas City and marked Messi's 200th international appearance.
Bias read (Center): The article provides a straightforward account of a sports event without any overtly biased language, framing, or emphasis on political issues. It focuses solely on the athletic achievement of Lionel Messi and does not incorporate any political commentary or context.
The article discusses Lionel Messi scoring a hat-trick against Algeria, helping Argentina start their defense of the World Cup title well.
Bias read (Center): The article focuses on a sports event with no political implications or controversy. The content is purely descriptive of a football match outcome without any biased language or framing.
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