Lionel Messi made history on Tuesday night, June 17, after equalling Germany’s Miroslav Klose record for most men’s World Cup goals, reaching 16, as he scored a hat-trick to inspire Argentina to a 3–0 victory over Algeria.
The treble marked the 11th hat-trick of Messi’s international career, though it was his first ever at a World Cup finals. At 38, he also became the oldest player in the tournament’s history to score three goals in a single match, as he celebrated his 200th appearance for Argentina.
Reflecting on the milestone, Lionel Messi said he was honoured to be mentioned alongside legends such as Miroslav Klose, as well as Brazil icon Ronaldo Nazário, but downplayed the significance of records.
“It’s an honour being up there for what it means, being alongside Klose and Ronaldo, who is there also. But it doesn’t mean anything,” Messi said. “Mbappé is there too; he scored twice today. At the end of the day, they are stats and nothing more.”
He added that while it was special to share such milestones with elite players, statistics alone do not define greatness.
Argentina captain Kylian Mbappé was also mentioned as part of the ongoing goal-scoring race among modern stars.
Messi was visibly emotional after opening the scoring, with tears on his face, later explaining that his reaction was not purely football-related.
“Why did I cry? It was something completely unrelated to football,” he said. “I went through some difficult days, but I’m grateful to my teammates and the delegation because they were always by my side, giving me strength.”
The match also carried symbolic weight, coming exactly 20 years after Messi made his World Cup debut for Argentina against Serbia and Montenegro.
