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Lionel Messi continues to demonstrate why he is the best footballer in the world.
The Argentine star led his team to a 3-0 victory against Algeria in their first group stage match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday night. He scored his team’s three goals and got the first hat-trick of his career in a World Cup.
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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, on June 16, 2026. (Ed Zurga/AP Photo)
The three goals put him tied with Germany’s Miroslav Klose for the career scoring record in the World Cup. He burst into tears after scoring his first goal.
“My tears after the first goal? I’ve had difficult days. It had nothing to do with football. And those feelings were because of that,” Messi said after the game, without giving details. “I thank my teammates, the coaching staff and the delegation for helping me.”
Messi had been battling a hamstring injury, which plagued him at Inter Miami during the Major League Soccer season.
However, he seemed fine in a friendly against Iceland prior to the World Cup.
Lionel Messi of Argentina smiles during the World Cup Group J soccer match against Algeria in Kansas City, Missouri, on June 16, 2026. (Ed Zurga/AP)
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“This is my sixth World Cup and I still feel like I’m in good shape,” Messi said. “Fortunately, I am fine and today we managed to win a difficult match. It is important to start the tournament with a victory in the first match, because that is never easy in a World Cup.”
Messi’s on-field heroics sparked a reaction from another sports superstar: Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Mahomes posted some goat emojis during Messi’s performance.
Messi is in his sixth World Cup, marking two decades of dominance on the field. He led Argentina to a World Cup title in 2022.
Lionel Messi of Argentina celebrates with his teammates after scoring his team’s second goal during the World Cup Group J match against Algeria in Kansas City, Missouri, on 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 am experiencing now is the icing on the cake,” Messi said. “I am very happy and grateful for this wonderful group. I enjoy it very much.”
