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It was a night of records for Lionel Messi. On June 16, in Kansas City, Messi tied Miroslav Klose’s record for the most men’s World Cup goals of all time. The 38-year-old icon from Argentina scored a hat-trick against Algeria, his 16th, before leaving to a standing ovation, according to Al-Jazeera.
The game marked his 200th international game at what is widely speculated to be his last World Cup tournament. Messi, facing doubt pertaining to his performance after coming off of multiple injuries, opened on the field for the defending champions, and instantly became the first player to feature in six World Cups. He also became the oldest player to score a hat-trick in the World Cup, taking the title from Cristiano Ronaldo.
An early attack by Argentina led to a shot in the net by Messi in the 8th minute, but following a Video Assisted Referee (VAR) review, the goal was not given because he was offside. His first valid goal came at the 16th minute when he scored from just outside the box. His other two goals came in the second half, leading to a victory of 3-0.
Having made his World Cup debut 20 years ago in 2006, this victory marked his 17th, tying him with Klose again for the most World Cup victories for a player.
The night was full of emotions for Messi, as he was left in tears after his first goal. When asked about the moment after the match, he commented that “it was something completely unrelated to football,” and that he was going through "difficult days.” He did not divulge more information as to the nature of the difficulties, but said he was very grateful to the entire delegation and team for their support.
Messi said it was an honour being up there with Klose and Brazil’s Ronaldo, but it does not mean much to him. Kyllian Mbappé, scoring two goals on the same day follows close behind with a total of 14 World Cup goals.
“At the end of the day, they are stats and nothing more,” said Messi after the game.
