Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 07:54am on 17 Jun 2026,Wednesday Sports
Lionel Messi delivered a stunning performance at the FIFA World Cup 2026, scoring the first World Cup hat-trick of his career in Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Algeria. The 38-year-old captain opened the scoring with a powerful long-range strike before adding two more goals in the second half. The hat-trick took Messi's World Cup tally to 16 goals, drawing level with German legend Miroslav Klose as the tournament's joint-highest scorer. Messi also became the oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick. His dominant display sent a strong message that Argentina remain serious contenders to defend their world title.
