Argentina captain Lionel Messi has become the joint highest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history after scoring a hat-trick in Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Algeria.
The three goals took Messi’s World Cup tally to 16, drawing level with former Germany striker Miroslav Klose. Despite the milestone, Messi downplayed the achievement, describing it as just a statistic and focusing instead on helping Argentina defend their World Cup title.
The 38-year-old expressed gratitude to his teammates, family and supporters, while coach Lionel Scaloni praised his enduring influence on the team. The performance further strengthened Argentina’s status as one of the favourites in the tournament.
