Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 09:53am on 17 Jun 2026,Wednesday Sports
Lionel Messi etched his name deeper into football history by scoring a hat-trick in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The three goals took the 38-year-old’s World Cup tally to 16, equalling German striker Miroslav Klose’s all-time tournament record. Messi also became the first player to appear in six World Cups and the oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick. The Argentina captain reached the milestone exactly 20 years after making his World Cup debut. Defending champions Argentina opened their campaign strongly, with Messi once again proving decisive on football’s biggest stage. (PC: X)
