On Tuesday evening, the 69,045 spectators at Kansas City Stadium witnessed a rare feat amid the deafening roar of La Albiceleste, achieved by the world’s greatest footballer in truly spectacular fashion.
Exactly 20 years after becoming Argentina’s youngest-ever FIFA World Cup goalscorer (on June 16, 2006, against Serbia and Montenegro in Germany), Lionel Messi found the net again on the same date—but this time as the nation’s oldest World Cup scorer. In the 2006 World Cup, an 18-year-old Messi had come on for Maxi Rodríguez in the 75th minute, assisted Hernán Crespo in the 88th, and then scored himself—becoming Argentina’s youngest scorer in World Cup history. Two decades later, Messi marked the occasion with his first-ever World Cup hat-trick, leading Argentina to a 3-0 victory over Algeria at Kansas City Stadium in the US. Of the three goals, the opener carried the most significance for La Pulga.
Now 38 and captaining Argentina in the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup, Messi unleashed a thunderous left-footed volley in the 17th minute to achieve a series of milestones. The moment could have arrived earlier in the 4th minute, but his effort was ruled offside, forcing fans to wait a little longer before history was sealed with his trademark unstoppable strike.
With tears of joy in his eyes, Messi knew what the opening goal meant. His first strike of the 2026 World Cup brought him level with German legend Miroslav Klose on 16 World Cup goals, making them joint-highest scorers in tournament history. With the competition still ahead, Messi has the chance to surpass the record outright. Across six World Cups and an extraordinary two-decade span, his career has been defined by longevity, consistency, and an unwavering love for the game. This match, his 200th for Argentina, was made unforgettable by his first World Cup hat-trick. Mess also surpassed Cristiano Ronaldo’s record as the oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick. His second goal came from a close-range finish after a rebound fell kindly in the box following Mac Allister’s effort. He completed the treble in the 76th minute with a composed curling shot, having initiated the move himself with a dazzling run.
Speaking after the match, Messi was asked about the reason behind his tears. The 38-year-old said he had endured a challenging period leading up to Argentina’s opener, explaining that his emotional outpouring had nothing to do with football. “I went through some difficult, complicated days. I’m grateful to the entire delegation, to my teammates. They were always there for me, as always. They gave me a lot of strength to get through this, and that’s all,” Messi told the media after the match. He added: “It’s an honour to be there (records) because of what it means to be alongside (Miroslav) Klose and (Cristiano) Ronaldo. However, I don’t think it means much. (Kylian) Mbappé scored two goals. It’s a statistic and nothing more. While it’s an honour to compete with all of them, it doesn’t mean anything to me. Ronaldo, from what I saw, was one of the greatest and he’s not in first place, so it all comes down to a statistic.”