Lionel Messi has added another chapter to his extraordinary World Cup legacy after drawing level with Miroslav Klose as the highest scorer in men’s World Cup history.
The Argentina captain reached the landmark during his side’s 3-0 victory over Algeria, scoring all three goals as the reigning champions began the defence of their crown with an emphatic win in Kansas City.
The hat-trick took Messi’s World Cup tally to 16 goals, matching the record set by former Germany striker Klose, whose mark had stood alone since the 2014 tournament.
It is the latest achievement in a World Cup career that now spans two decades.
Messi scored his first goal at the tournament as a teenager against Serbia and Montenegro in Germany in 2006. Twenty years later, he remains at the heart of Argentina’s ambitions, continuing to shape matches and rewrite football history on the biggest stage.
His record-equalling night began in spectacular fashion.
After seeing an early effort ruled out for offside, Messi opened the scoring with a powerful strike from distance that flew beyond Algeria goalkeeper Lucas Zidane.
He added a second after reacting quickest to convert a rebound following Alexis Mac Allister’s saved effort before completing his hat-trick with a trademark curling finish from the edge of the penalty area.
The treble ensured Messi joined Klose at the summit of the men’s World Cup scoring charts and underlined his enduring ability to influence matches despite approaching his 40th birthday.
The achievement becomes even more remarkable when viewed alongside the longevity required to reach it.
Klose’s 16 goals came across four World Cups between 2002 and 2014. Messi has accumulated the same number over six tournaments, maintaining his place among football’s elite through multiple generations of players.
His latest milestone also saw him become the oldest player to score a hat-trick in World Cup history, another record in a career already overflowing with individual honours.
Yet the possibility remains that the story is not finished.
Argentina are only one match into their latest World Cup campaign, meaning Messi could soon move beyond Klose and become the outright leading scorer in the history of the men’s tournament.
For years, many of football’s greatest records appeared untouchable. One by one, Messi has challenged that assumption.
Now, standing alongside Klose on 16 goals, the Argentine superstar finds himself one strike away from owning perhaps the most prestigious scoring record of them all.
With Argentina aiming for back-to-back world titles, the opportunity to stand alone at the top may arrive sooner rather than later.
