Lionel Messi breaks Cristiano Ronaldo’s record to become oldest player ever to score a World Cup hat trick

Lionel Messi launched his 2026 World Cup campaign in spectacular fashion, netting his first career tournament hat trick to power Argentina to a dominant 3-0 victory over Algeria in their Group J opener. Beyond registering his first-ever three-goal World Cup performance, the Argentine legend officially surpassed long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo to become the oldest player in tournament history to score a hat trick.

Following a frantic opening sequence that saw a marginal offside call deny a goal for each side, including one away from Messi, the captain broke the deadlock in the 17th minute with a thunderous long-range strike. He then doubled the advantage in the 60th minute by cleaning up a Luca Zidane rebound inside the box, before sealing the historic performance in the 76th minute with a clinical finish off a clever back pass from Nicolas Gonzalez.

Messi’s historic masterclass comes on soccer’s grandest stage at 38 years and 357 days old, just one week shy of his 39th birthday. The legendary performance eclipses the previous benchmark set by Ronaldo, who was 33 years and 130 days old when he claimed the record during a thrilling 2018 group-stage match against Spain.

With Portugal and La Roja marking the marquee clash of Group B back in Russia 2018, Ronaldo opened the scoring from the penalty spot in just the fourth minute. He then restored Portugal’s lead at 2-1 in the 44th minute courtesy of a rare David De Gea blunder, before rescuing a 3-3 draw in the 88th minute with a sublime, physics-defying free kick to complete his treble.

At the time, Ronaldo broke a long-standing tournament record held by Dutchman Rob Rensenbrink, who famously bagged a hat trick during the 1978 World Cup at 30 years and 335 days old. Fast forward eight years to the present day, and Messi has completely rewritten that history, widening the gap at the top by nearly five years.

Having turned 41 back in February, Ronaldo currently stands at 41 years and 132 days old, meaning a single hat trick during this 2026 tournament would instantly reclaim the crown for the Portuguese icon. Slated to face the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uzbekistan, and Colombia in a highly competitive Group K, the veteran forward will once again look to defy logic and make history on the global stage.

Messi’s reaction after the game

Messi’s match fitness loomed as one of the major storylines heading into the World Cup, following a late scare involving hamstring discomfort during his final game with Inter Miami. The definitive hat trick against Algeria served as an emphatic statement that any injury concerns are firmly in the rearview mirror as he begins his quest to defend the world championship.

In his post-match press conference, Messi offered some candid perspective on the emotional victory: “I feel good. It’s never easy to play a first match of the World Cup; fortunately, we pulled it through. The people show once again that Argentina is crazy, to thank them for all the effort they make. May they enjoy this moment, just like we do. For us, playing at home is always a major advantage.“