Thomas Muller spent years crossing paths with Lionel Messi on football’s biggest stages — but even he was left in awe by the Argentine’s latest World Cup performance.
Messi scored a hat-trick in Argentina’s 2026 World Cup opener against Algeria, drawing level with Miroslav Klose as the tournament’s all-time top scorer.
The display drew praise from across the game, including from Muller — a player who has been present for some of Messi’s most memorable moments, both good and bad.
Thomas Muller reacts to Lionel Messi’s World Cup hat-trick
Thomas Muller took to Instagram shortly after Lionel Messi’s heroics against Algeria.
The former Bayern Munich and Germany star shared a photo of himself alongside Messi and accompanied it with a short but powerful caption.
“This guy… 🐐”
While only three words and an emoji, the post quickly attracted attention given the history between the two football icons.
Muller has spent much of his career competing against Messi at both international and club level, making him one of the players best placed to appreciate the Argentine’s longevity and continued brilliance.
The German was part of the side that defeated Argentina in the 2014 FIFA World Cup final and also faced Messi numerous times during Bayern Munich’s memorable Champions League clashes with Barcelona.
Despite being on the winning side in many of those encounters, Muller appeared to join the growing list of players and pundits left stunned by Messi’s latest performance.
The Argentina captain scored all three goals in a 3-0 victory over Algeria, moving level with Miroslav Klose on 16 World Cup goals and strengthening his case as the greatest player the sport has ever seen.
Muller knows Messi’s game better than most
They also met regularly at club level, with Muller’s Bayern Munich enjoying several famous wins over Messi’s Barcelona.
Despite those past battles, the German had nothing but respect for what he saw in Kansas City.
Messi’s hat-trick took him to 16 World Cup goals, moving past Ronaldo Nazário and level with Klose atop the all-time list.
He also became the first player to appear in six World Cups and marked his 200th cap for Argentina during the match.
With the tournament just underway, Messi now has the chance to move clear of Klose and set the scoring record outright.
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