UNIPA News(KANSAS CITY, Missouri) June 16 — Lionel Messi scored the first FIFA World Cup hat-trick of his career as Argentina secured a 3-0 victory over Algeria in a Group J match at Arrowhead Stadium on Tuesday.

The Argentine captain found the net three times, helping the defending champions maintain their winning momentum while equalling Miroslav Klose’s World Cup scoring record of 16 goals.

Messi opened the scoring in the early minutes of the match after receiving a pass from teammate Rodrigo De Paul. He doubled Argentina’s lead shortly after the start of the second half before completing his hat-trick moments before being substituted to a standing ovation from the crowd.

The match marked the 20th anniversary of Messi’s World Cup debut for Argentina against Serbia and Montenegro, a game in which he also scored. The performance made him only the second player in history to score in five different editions of the World Cup.

With 16 goals across six World Cup campaigns, Messi has now matched Klose’s all-time tournament scoring record. The hat-trick was the 61st of his professional career and the 11th for the Argentina national team.

Messi has also scored in five consecutive World Cup matches, extending a remarkable run on football’s biggest stage.

The 38-year-old entered the tournament after recovering from a minor hamstring injury sustained while playing for Inter Miami. He showed positive signs in a pre-tournament appearance against Iceland, scoring from the penalty spot during a brief outing.

Tuesday’s match was also Messi’s 200th international appearance for Argentina, a milestone achieved more than two decades after making his senior debut in 2005.

Argentina’s victory was one of several notable results on the day, with other leading football stars also producing strong performances in their respective matches. However, Messi’s historic hat-trick dominated the headlines as Argentina continued their World Cup campaign.