Messi Sets New Record with World Cup Hat-Trick
Lionel Messi has spent two decades rewriting football history. On a warm Tuesday night in Kansas City, he picked up the pen again.
At 38 years and 357 days, the Argentina captain became the oldest player ever to score a World Cup hat-trick, overtaking long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo and tightening his grip on a debate that refuses to die.
A New Record, Same Old Messi
Argentina’s title defense began against Algeria in front of a sold-out crowd at Kansas City Stadium, and Messi treated it like a personal stage. Three goals, all his. Three ruthless reminders that his left foot still bends matches – and records – to his will.
Ronaldo had set the previous age mark at the 2018 World Cup, when he struck a hat-trick against Spain at 33 years and 130 days. That felt like a record designed to last. Messi has just pushed it five years further down the line.
The impact goes beyond the numbers. Argentina arrived in the United States as defending champions, burdened with expectation and the weight of that epic 2022 triumph over Kylian Mbappé’s France. One game in, they already look like a side prepared to carry it.
Group J Under Early Control
Argentina sit in Group J with Austria, Jordan, and Algeria. After one match, Messi’s treble has them exactly where they wanted to be: top of the group with three points and the early authority that comes from a statement win.
Next comes Austria on Monday, then Jordan five days later. Both fixtures will be played at Dallas Stadium, a venue that now knows what is coming: a champion side with its leader in record-breaking form and a fanbase that travels like few others.
Every opponent in this group understands the equation. Stop Messi, or at least slow him. Algeria couldn’t. Austria and Jordan now have a full 90 minutes of fresh evidence showing how hard that task remains, even as he approaches his 39th birthday.
Ronaldo’s Turn in Miami
On the other side of the bracket, the other half of football’s great duopoly steps into the spotlight.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal open their 2026 World Cup campaign on Wednesday against the Democratic Republic of Congo at Miami Stadium. Uzbekistan follow on Tuesday, with Colombia waiting on June 27 to close out the group stage.
The target is identical for both icons: finish at least second in the group and move into the knockout rounds, where 32 teams will chase the same dream with very different levels of pressure. For Portugal, it is about proving they can still build a deep run around Ronaldo. For Argentina, it is about defending a crown with a giant target on their backs.
Messi has struck first in this tournament, both on the pitch and in the record books. Ronaldo now walks into Miami knowing that his long-time rival has just taken another of his milestones and turned it sky blue and white.
The World Cup has its two familiar protagonists again. One has already delivered a hat-trick and a new record. The other is about to walk down the tunnel.
