THE HALFAX HEIMDALL AUGUR

Lionel Messi scripts history, becomes only second player to score in five World Cups Lionel Messi etched his name in history, becoming the second player ever to score in five World Cups. His hat-trick against Algeria secured a dominant lead for Argentina, propelling him to the top of the all-time World Cup scoring charts alongside Miroslav Klose. This remarkable achievement marks another milestone in Messi's illustrious career.

FIFA World Cup 2026: Lionel Messi makes more history as Argentina beat Jordan Messi became the first player to score in seven consecutive World Cup appearances as Argentina beat Jordan to reach the knockouts as group toppers

Lionel Messi rewrites history books at record sixth World Cup Messi scores three exactly 20 years to the day he made his World Cup debut for Argentina.

'Nothing to do with football': Messi reveals why he cried after Argentina's win Lionel Messi's emotional hat-trick in Argentina's 3-0 World Cup win over Algeria marked a historic night, equaling Miroslav Klose's all-time scoring record. Despite personal difficulties, Messi delivered a masterful performance, celebrating his 200th international cap with a record-equalling feat.

Leo Messi Becomes FIFA World Cup™'s All-Time Leading Men's ... Gian Pablo Polito Copy URL Share on Facebook Share on X Inter Miami CF captain Leo Messi added another remarkable milestone to his legendary career this evening, becoming the FIFA World Cup™’s all-time leading men’s goalscorer as he scored his record-breaking 17th and 18th World Cup goals in a brace that led Argentina to a 2-0 victory against Austria in the group stage. With the brace, Messi surpassed former Germany forward Miroslav Klose, who previously held the record with 16 World Cup goals. The achievement comes during Messi’s sixth FIFA World Cup™ campaign, making him the first men’s player ever to appear in six editions of the tournament (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026). So far, Messi has enjoyed a stellar start to the tournament, leading the tournament’s scoring race with five goals in Argentina’s opening two matches. His campaign began with a hat-trick in a first-round victory over Algeria before he added the historic record-breaking brace against Austria. The result also secured La Albiceleste’s place in the Round of 32. Messi’s 18 FIFA World Cup™ Goals 2006 FIFA World Cup™ (1) vs. Serbia-Montenegro (Gr…

Messi equals World Cup goalscoring record in Argentina romp KANSAS CITY - Lionel Messi scored a dazzling hat-trick for Argentina on Tuesday to equal Miroslav Klose's all-time record of 16 goals at World Cups as the defending champions swept Algeria aside 3-0.

Lionel Messi ties men’s World Cup goals record with a hat trick as Argentina tops Algeria https://www.eucup.com/1675890/ KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Lionel Messi used the front of his white-and-blue, sweat-soaked jersey to wipe the tears from his eyes, a flood of emotions cracking his usually calm, …

Soccer's premier goal scorers, led by Lionel Messi, show up to the World Cup with a bang The World Cup might be less than a week old, but the goal scoring at this year's tourney has been sublime. Argentina's Lionel Messi netted three goals the same day France's Kylian Mbappé scored two.

With a historic Messi, Argentina begin their title defense by thrashing Algeria <p> <img src="https://en.mercopress.com/data/cache/noticias/110513/100x80/17118848.jpg" alt="With his three goals, Messi reached 16 in World Cups, tying Germany&#039;s Miroslav Klose as the competition&#039;s all-time top scorer" width="100" height="80" style="float:left;margin:0 12px 6px 0;border:1px solid #333" /> Argentina began their defense of the World Cup title won in Qatar 2022 on Tuesday with a 3-0 thrashing of Algeria, in the Group J opener of the 2026 World Cup, played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Captain Lionel Messi guided Lionel Scaloni's side with a hat-trick that left him atop the tournament's all-time scoring history.</p>

Lionel Messi World Cup hat-trick equals goalscoring record as Argentina beat Algeria <p>Lionel Messi scored a majestic hat-trick to equal the all-time World Cup scoring record, answering doubts about his influence at age 38 and breathing life into Argentina’s title defence with a 3-0 Group J win over Algeria on Tuesday.</p> <p>He drew level with Germany’s Miroslav Klose with 16 goals in total and became the oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick, exactly 20 years to the day since his first goal at the global tournament.</p> <p>The opening game in Group J at Kansas City Stadium saw another masterclass from the Argentina captain, who turns 39 later this month and was marking his 200th cap for his country as he became the first player to compete at six World Cups.</p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media-- media--embed media--uneven media--tweet' data-original-src='https://x.com/FIFAWorldCup/status/2067076977098448948'> <div class='media__item media__item--twitter '><span> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"> <a href="https://twitter.com/FIFAWorldCup/status/2067076977098448948"></a> </blockquote> </span></div> </figure…

Argentina vs. Algeria, FIFA World Cup 2026 Highlights: Lionel Messi's ... Argentina vs. Algeria Highlights: Lionel Messi scored the first-ever hat trick of his career to help Argentina to a 3-0 victory against Algeria. Argentina vs Algeria FIFA WC 2026 Argentina vs Algeria FIFA WC 2026 Highlights:Argentina started their title defense with a 3-0 victory against Algeria, with Lionel Messi producing another masterclass. The 38-year-old scored two goals from outside the box in the 17th and 76th minutes. He also scored from close range in the 60th minute.Match StatsBall Possession: Argentina 48% - 52% AlgeriaExpected Goals (xG): Argentina 1.23 - 0.31 AlgeriaTotal Shots: Argentina 10 - 7 AlgeriaShots on Target: Argentina 6 - 0 AlgeriaTouches in Opposition Box: Argentina 12 - 12 AlgeriaBig Chances: Argentina 2 - 0 AlgeriaBig Chances Missed: Argentina 1 - 0 AlgeriaAccurate Passes: Argentina 504 (90%) - 559 (92%) AlgeriaStarting, Subs Used, and Player Ratings (As per Fotmob)Argentina Player RatingsStarting XI23 Emiliano Martínez – 7.025 Facundo Medina – 7.216 Thiago Almada – 7.0 (subbed off 55')6 Lisandro Martínez – 7.724 Enzo Fernández – 7.522 Lautaro Martínez – 6.5 (subbed off 55')13 C…

Lionel Messi breaks record for most World Cup goals with Austria double ARLINGTON, Texas --Lionel Messibecame the highest goal scorer in World Cup history Monday, moving up to 18 with a superb double inArgentina's Group J match againstAustriaand breaking a tie withGermanylegend Miroslav Klose. Messi entered the day on 16 goals following a hat trick in Argentina's opener, and missed a penalty early on against Austria which briefly denied him the outright record. But Messi curled home from a cutback in the 38th minute and then added a late second in the 2-0 win in Dallas, which secures defending champion Argentina's place in the knockouts. The Argentina captain has now scored in six consecutive World Cup games since 2022 and his 18th goal all-time also moves him clear of women's World Cup top scorer Marta, who has 17. Kylian Mbappéjoined Klose on 16 in Monday's later kickoff with a double of his own as France beat Iraq 3-0. "There were moments when I was really angry about missing the penalty, but I was able to make up for it," Messi said. Messi had tied Klose's record by scoring a hat trick during Argentina's 3-0 win overAlgeriato kick off the 2026 World Cup on June 16. The ha…

World Cup: Messi sends Argentina to top, England to face DR Congo, Iran out Lionel Messi scored his sixth goal of the 2026 World Cup, Harry Kane sent England top of their group, and Iran exited.

Lionel Messi ties men's World Cup goals record with hat trick <p>In Argentina's game against Algeria, Lionel Messi scored a hat trick and tied Miroslav Klose for most World Cup goals.</p>

Messi scores again as Argentina beat Jordan, head into FIFA World Cup last 32 on a high <p>Lionel Messi came off the bench to score his sixth goal of the tournament as Argentina warmed up for their World Cup knockout match with Cape Verde by beating Jordan 3-1 on Saturday.</p> <p>The ageless Messi tops the scoring charts in North America as the tournament heads into the last 32.</p> <p>Cape Verde’s players will be wondering how they can stop Messi when the debutants ranked 67 face the champions on July 3 in Miami.</p> <p>With qualification <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2010067">already in the bag</a>, Messi started on the bench but came on after an hour in Texas to huge cheers to get his side’s third with a free-kick.</p> <p>Argentina finished emphatically top of Group J with maximum points after also beating Algeria 3-0 and defeating Austria 2-0, all those goals coming from Messi.</p> <p>The holders and their 39-year-old talisman look formidable, albeit in one of the weaker groups.</p> <p>Coach Lionel Scaloni said Messi could have played the full game.</p> <figure class='media w-full sm:w-1/2 media--right media--embed media--uneven' data-original-src='https://www.daw…

Messi rewrites World Cup history with hat-trick against Algeria <img width="1080" height="533" src="https://i0.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2026/06/1003411039-e1781680675584.jpg?fit=1080%2C533&amp;ssl=1" class="webfeedsFeaturedVisual wp-post-image" alt="King Leo was the hero for Argentina (PHOTO CREDIT: FIFA World Cup Channel)" style="display: block; margin: auto; margin-bottom: 5px;max-width: 100%;" link_thumbnail="" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2026/06/1003411039-e1781680675584.jpg?w=1080&amp;ssl=1 1080w, https://i0.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2026/06/1003411039-e1781680675584.jpg?resize=526%2C260&amp;ssl=1 526w, https://i0.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2026/06/1003411039-e1781680675584.jpg?resize=768%2C379&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2026/06/1003411039-e1781680675584.jpg?resize=750%2C370&amp;ssl=1 750w" sizes="(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px" /><p>Messi's treble took his World Cup tally to 16 goals, drawing him level with German great Miroslav Klose as the competition's joint-highest goalscorer</p> <p>The post <a h…

A masterclass performance from Lionel Messi, leading Argentina to victory with an unforgettable hat trick and a record-breaking achievement. Three goals, pure brilliance, and yet another special night for one of the greatest players ever to grace the game. #FIFAWorldCup2026

Messi has his first World Cup hat trick as defending champion Argentina beats Algeria 3-0 in opener KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Lionel Messi registered his first World Cup hat trick while moving into a tie for first on the tournament's career scoring li

Messi keeps scoring as unbeaten Argentina head for last 32 in style Substitute Lionel Messi came off the bench to score his sixth goal of the World Cup as Argentina beat Jordan 3-1 on Saturday, extending their winning momentum ahead of a last-32 wi...

Messi ties World Cup goals record with hat trick for Argentina vs ... There are few things more basic than turning towards a screen and expecting Lionel Messi to score. It is why spectators fill MLS stadiums on the regular, like clockwork, a drilled-in habit rather than an intentional, carefully chosen option. It is probably why thousands spent hundreds or thousands of dollars to pack Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. on a Tuesday as Argentina faced Algeria in their World Cup opener. There's almost a banal predictability to it, to the point that it almost doesn't feel like news because of its routine nature; all the more easy to write him off because he's a week away from his 39th birthday. And yet, Messi still manages to captivate. Another chapter to Messi's already historic legacy was written on Tuesday in the American Midwest and an appropriate one at that. The World Cup winner equalled Germany international Miroslav Klose's record for most career tournament goals with 16, reaching the feat on the back of three expertly taken goals that offered the latest reminder of his unnaturally natural talent. The historic goal was perhaps the least exciting of the three he scored on T…

Lionel Messi scripts FIFA World Cup history, becomes first player to... Lionel Messi etched his name in history, becoming the first player to score in eight consecutive FIFA World Cup matches during Argentina's thrilling 3-2 extra-time win over Cape Verde. His 20th World Cup goal, a record-breaker, propelled Argentina into the Round of 16. Messi also leads the Golden Boot race with seven goals, further solidifying his legendary status on the global stage.

Lionel Messi scores 20th World Cup goal Lionel Messi’s goal-scoring streak lived on, and he made it look easy.His hopes of a second consecutive World Cup title also lived on — and that accomplishment was anything but easy.For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Messi’s goal in the 29th minute was the 20th of his World Cup career, extending his record and moving him two ahead of France’s Kylian Mbappe on the all-time list. It was the opener of what became a wild night, with Argentina escaping with a 3-2 win over Cape Verde in extra time against a huge underdog.Messi was pictured later at his media conference with a large bump on his head after apparently being hit with a knee during a collision with a Cape Verde player. “It hurts a little but I’m good,” he was quoted in comments translated from Spanish about the goose-egg over his right eye.Messi — who now has goals in a record eight consecutive World Cup games going back to Argentina’s run to the 2022 title — seemed relieved after

Lionel Messi emerges as top scorer in 2026 World Cup group stage The Argentine forward scored six goals in three matches, setting a new tournament record

Argentina 3-0 Algeria Stats: Messi Creates World Cup History with Sensational Hat-Trick https://www.europesays.com/africa/288490/ Lionel Messi scored a record-breaking hat-trick to help Argentina defeat Algeria 3-0 and start their FIFA World Cup…

Lionel Messi Breaks All-Time FIFA World Cup Scoring Record Against ... History has been rewritten. Lionel Messi has cemented his legacy as the greatest to ever play the game, adding the ultimate goal-scoring crown to an already legendary résumé. After scoring his first goal against Austria on June 22, Messi recorded his 17thFIFA World Cupgoal to become the all-time scoring leader in the men's tournament. He’s officially surpassed the record held by Germany’s Miroslav Klose — and is now two clear of Klose with 18 total World Cup goals. The record for most goals scored at a World Cup tournament was previously held by Brazil women's team legend Marta with 17, which Messi tied with his first goal against Austria and then broke with his second (which came deep into stoppage time). He now stands alone as the World Cup's all-time leading goalscorer. Messi became just the third player to score in six consecutive World Cup matches, joining Just Fontaine (France) and Jairzinho (Brazil). The first goal came in the 38th minute at Dallas Stadium off a thunderous one-time touch from Facundo Medina's pass that sailed into the bottom-left corner past Austria keeper Alexander Schlager. And t…

🐐 Messi hits a historic hat trick! Mbappé breaks records! Haaland shines on the world stage! The heavyweights officially took over World Cup Day 6 in an unforgettable goal explosion. Read the full tactical breakdown and match stats here. #WorldCup #Messi open.substack.com/pub/foxinthe...

Messi has his first World Cup hat trick as defending champion Argentina beats Algeria 3-0 in opener <p>KANSAS CITY, Mo. &#8212; Lionel Messi registered his first World Cup hat trick while moving into a tie for first on the tournament&#8217;s career scoring list Tuesday night, sending defending champion Argentina to a dominant 3-0 victory over Algeria in its group-stage opener.</p>

WORLD CUP NEWS; The entire stadium erupted into chants of “Messi! Messi! Messi!” after Lionel Messi’s record-breaking 3rd goal hat-trick for #Argentina. A moment that will live forever in #WorldCup history. A legendary chapter was written on football’s biggest stage. #Messi is the 🐐🇦🇷

World Cup: Argentina conquer Jordan as Austria, Algeria share six-goal thriller <img width="1080" height="675" src="https://i0.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2026/06/1003491676-e1782632896825.jpg?fit=1080%2C675&amp;ssl=1" class="webfeedsFeaturedVisual wp-post-image" alt="Messi sealed the victory for Argentina" style="display: block; margin: auto; margin-bottom: 5px;max-width: 100%;" link_thumbnail="" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2026/06/1003491676-e1782632896825.jpg?w=1080&amp;ssl=1 1080w, https://i0.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2026/06/1003491676-e1782632896825.jpg?resize=526%2C329&amp;ssl=1 526w, https://i0.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2026/06/1003491676-e1782632896825.jpg?resize=768%2C480&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2026/06/1003491676-e1782632896825.jpg?resize=750%2C469&amp;ssl=1 750w" sizes="(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px" /><p>Argentina underlined their title ambitions with a convincing 3-1 win over Jordan.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.premiumtimesng.com/sports/football/891196-world-cup-argentina-conquer-j…

Lionel Messi scores hat trick in 2026 World Cup opener to tie all-time ... Lionel Messi made more history Tuesday, becoming the second player to score in five World Cups when he joined Cristiano Ronaldo in stunning fashion against Algeria. Oh, we buried the lede in our lede — Messi is now tied with Miroslav Klose after scoring hsi 14th, 15th, and 16th World Cup goals with a hat trick in the game. MORE —Andy Edwards’ live updates from KC Messi blasted home a rocket from outside the 18 to give reigning champions Argentina 1-0 lead against their African opponents in Kansas City. Oh, he’d score another around the hour mark to make more history before adding a third 11 minutes later. Will he break the career World Cup scoring record this month? It feels pretty likely. He’s now scored eight goals in his last five World Cup appearances. Stretching even further, Messi has 11 goals and five assists in his last nine World Cup matches dating back to the 2018 Group D finale against Nigeria, which ended a six-match goal drought at the tournament. His 16 goals are tied with Klose as he passed Ronald, and Gerd Muller (Cristiano Ronaldo, if you’re wondering, has eight World Cup goals). 🤗 ¡…

19/104: Argentina 3-0 Algeria Lionel Messi. That’s all we can say. After some close offside calls, it was the Messi show breaking the records and continuing to kill it at the age of 38. The greatest of all time for a reason. May this World Cup be yet another iconic one.

Messi leads Argentinian squad with hat trick at record 6th World Cup appearance The captain of the Argentinian national football team boasts 120 goals in 200 matches on the international stage throughout his career

Lionel Messi scripts history, continues to break records as Argentina ... Argentina has continued its unbeaten run in the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026. Coming into the tournament as the defending champions, many expected Argentina to pick up right where they left off, and the side has done just that. After completing the group stage of the tournament, Argentina remains unbeaten and has won all the games so far. Having taken on Algeria, Austria, and Jordan, Argentina has registered three victories and has topped its group as well. At the forefront of their victories has been the legendary Lionel Messi. With a hat-trick and a brace in his first two games in the tournament, Messi has gone on to score yet another goal as Argentina took on Jordan on June 28th. With six goals to his name in three matches, Messi currently leads the Golden Boot race as well. With a goal against Jordan, Messi also scripted history and became the first player inFIFA World Cuphistory to score in seven straight matches in the tournament, achieving yet another massive feat. With Argentina revealing the lineup for their clash against Jordan, many fans questioned why Lionel Messi was not starting the game. Ho…

Messi becomes joint World Cup all-time scorer with hat trick against Algeria Argentina beat Algeria 3-0 on June 16. Lionel Messi's hat trick of goals came 20 years to the day after his World Cup debut. Messi is now the first man to play in six World Cups and the tournament's joint all-time scorer, alongside Germany's Miroslav Klose, with 16 goals. The player was praised by supporters on both sides.

Messi hat-trick fires holders Argentina to win over Algeria at World Cup Argentina open defence of their World Cup crown with a Lionel Messi-inspired 3-0 win against Algeria in 2026 edition.

Lionel Messi creates history, becomes first player ever to ... Lionel Messi etched his name in World Cup history, becoming the first player to score in seven consecutive matches with a stunning free-kick against Jordan. This remarkable goal, his 19th in the tournament, extended his all-time scoring record. The Argentine captain, rested for the start, came off the bench to secure a 3-1 victory, showcasing his enduring impact on the global stage.

Argentina vs. Algeria LIVE: World Cup 2026 updates... - ESPN Lionel MessibeganArgentina's defence of theFIFA World Cupwith a stunning hat-trick, as Lionel Scaloni's side defeatedAlgeria3-0 in Kansas City. Messi scored in the 17th, 60th and 76th minute, scoring his first-ever hattrick at the World Cup, on his 200th appearance for Argentina as he became the first man to appear in six World Cups. The goals took him to 16 World Cup goals, level with Miroslav Klose for the all-time record. He also brought up his 24th goal contribution in the World Cup, now going past Pele (21) for the all-time record. The goals were outstanding as well, his first a long-range screamer, the second a tap-in and his third an accurate curled effort into the bottom corner, as the night belonged to Messi. You can relive the match, as it happened, below.

Argentina wins, Messi scores historic World Cup hat trick vs. Algeria WORLD CUP Argentina Men's National Soccer Team Add Topic Messi makes history as Argentina crushes Algeria in 2026 World Cup opener Jon Arnold Liam Keating Alicia Del Gallo Seth Vertelney Jesse Yomtov USA TODAY Updated June 17, 2026, 12:32 a.m. ET Hear this story KANSAS CITY, MO — World Cup contenders and Group J rivals hoping for an injured Lionel Messi limping through Argentina’s World Cup campaign got horrible news Tuesday night: Messi is as good as ever. Messi showed no signs of hamstring issues suffered last month, scoring a hat trick to power the defending champion past Algeria, 3-0. The first goal was trademark Messi, as he took possession in the 17th minute, turned, got the ball on his left foot and smashed the opener past Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane. Shop Messi's jersey The second strike was less so. Alexis Mac Allister tried to beat Zidane from distance at the hour-mark, only to see his shot saved. But Messi was the first player to the rebound and used his right foot to tap-in his second goal of the night. Minutes after a penalty appeal went unanswered, Messi found his third from the run of play in t…

Messi first to score 20 goals at World Cup The Argentine consolidated his leadership in the list of the best scorers in the history of the tournament, breaking away from forward of the French national team Kylian Mbappe

Messi scores 20th World Cup goal, recaptures Golden Boot lead Lionel Messi's remarkable scoring streak continued, but keeping Argentina's World Cup title defense alive proved far tougher than finding the net. The Argentina captain...

Messi hat-trick equals goalscoring record as Argentina beats Algeria Lionel Messi scored a majestic hat-trick to equal the all-time World Cup scoring record, answering doubts about his influence at age 38 and breathing life into Argentina’s title defense with a 3-0 Group J win over Algeria on Tuesday. He drew level with Germany’s Miroslav Klose with 16 goals in total and became the oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick — exactly 20 years to the day since his first goal at the global tournament. The opening game in Group J at Kansas City Stadium saw another masterclass from the Argentina captain, who turns 39 later this month and was marking his 200th cap for his country as he became the first player to compete at six World Cups. He had the crowd celebrating what they thought was a dream start with a goal in the opening five minutes but it was chalked off for offside. So it felt inevitable that it was the star forward who would rise to the moment for the raucous sea of sky blue and white, with

'We knew this would be very tough': Messi admits Cabo Verde pushed Argentina to the limit Defending champions Argentina narrowly escaped a major upset, defeating debutants Cabo Verde 3-2 in extra time to advance to the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16. Lionel Messi opened the scoring, but Cabo Verde fought back twice. An own goal ultimately sealed Argentina's victory, with Messi acknowledging the tough challenge and praising his opponents' spirited performance. The win keeps Argentina on track, with Messi extending his scoring record.

Messi hat-trick lifts Argentina past Algeria as records tumble Lionel Messi opened his record-breaking sixth World Cup in spectacular fashion Tuesday, scoring the first World Cup hat trick of his career as defending champion Argentina cruised...

Argentina’s Messi equals World Cup goalscoring record with hat-trick in defeat of Algeria Lionel Messi piled up the records as he scored all three goals for Argentina in their 2026 World Cup opener against Algeria on Tuesday, becoming the first player to feature in six World Cups and matching former Germany ​striker ​Miroslav ​Klose's tally ​of 16 goals on football's biggest stage.

🐐 Breaking down Messi's masterclass vs Algeria — movement, goals, and a LOT of walking Messi's hat-trick against Algeria tied Klose's all-time World Cup record. The Athletic analyze how Argentina's genius just keeps delivering on the biggest stage. 🏆

Argentina's national team reaches round of 16 of FIFA World Cup Lionel Messi scored his 20th goal at the World Championships and consolidated his leadership in the list of the best scorers in the history of the tournament

Messi scripts history with first World Cup hat-trick, equals Klose's goals record Lionel Messi achieved a career milestone, scoring his first World Cup hat-trick to lead Argentina to a 3-0 win over Algeria. This remarkable feat drew him level with Miroslav Klose atop the tournament's all-time scoring charts with 16 goals. The performance also marked his 200th appearance for Argentina and extended his scoring streak to five consecutive World Cup matches.

Messi scores again but Argentina given World Cup upset fright by Cape Verde Lionel Messi opens scoring but Argentina taken to extra time by Cape Verde, which threatened greatest World Cup upset.