LIONEL MESSI CREATES HISTORY VS ALGERIA: HAT TRICK EQUALS ALL TIME WORLD CUP SCORING RECORD AT AGE 38.

 MESSI SCORES 3 GOALS ON JUNE 16, 2026 TO EQUAL MIROSLAV CLOSE'S 16 GOALS OLDEST WC HAT TRICK EVER. 

      Lionel Messi did it again. The 38 year old Argentine captain scored a majestic hat trick against Algeria on Tuesday June 16, 2026 at Kansas City Stadium, firing defending champions Argentina to a 3-0 win in their Group J opener.

   But this was no ordinary hat trick. Messi equalled Germany's Miroslav klose as the all time leading scorer in FIFA World Cup history with 16 goals. He also became the oldest player ever to score a World Cup hat trick, exactly 20 years to the day since his first World Cup goal.

 1. MATCH SUMMARY ARGENTINA 3-0 ALGERIA

 DATE.   16 June 2026. 

 VENUE.   Kansas Cricket Stadium, Kansas City

 RESULT.   Argentina beat Algeria 3-0

 STAGE.        GROUP J - MATCH 1

    MESSI'S GOALS⚽️

1. 17TH MINUTE.    Rocket from 25 yards out after Rodrigo De Paul through the ball. Glanced off Luca Zindane's fingertips into right top corner. 

2. 60TH MINUTE.   Tapped in rebound after Alexis Mac Alisters's 25 yard drive spilled off Zidane's chest. 

3. 76TH MINUTE.   Composed curling finish after intiating the move himself with mazy run.

    He completed the hat trick to a standing ovation before using stubbed off. 

   2. RECORDS BROKEN BY MESSI VS ALGERIA 

  Messi just didn't win the match. He rewrote World Cup history. 

1. EQUALS ALL TIME WC SCORING RECORD.  16 goals, level with Miroslav klose. Moved past Brazil's Ronaldo on 15. 

2. OLDEST WORLD CUP HAT TRICK.   At 38 years old, became oldest to score Hat Trick in World Cup 

3. FIRST PLAYER AT 6 WORLD CUPS.  Started his record 6th World Cup on his 200th international cap. 

4. SCORES IN 5 WORLD CUP.    Joins Christiona Ronaldo as only players to score in 5 different nations. 

5. 20 YEAR CIRCLE.  Scored exactly 20 years after his first World Cup goal VS Serbia on June 26, 2006 

 3. MAYBE THE BEST PLAYER OF ALL TIME

         The crowd ar Stadium was a sea of SKY blue and white, every fan wearing Messi's No. 10. His first goal in 5th minute was ruled offside, but he made it inevitable.