Lionel Messi put on a masterclass, netting a sensational hat-trick to power Argentina to a 3-0 victory over Algeria at Kansas City Stadium for the 2026 World Cup debut, and his elite performance drew an instant reaction from Norwegian striker Erling Haaland.
“Messi is a madman,” the Manchester City forward posted on his Snapchat account, adding a crown emoji in a nod to the Argentine captain’s magical night.
Haaland’s viral reaction wasn’t the only high-profile praise the captain’s masterclass pulled in. Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni was completely awestruck by Messi’s performance on the pitch, pointing out that it is the exact same level of magic he has been putting on display for the last 20 years.
With his spectacular hat-trick, Messi shattered Cristiano Ronaldo’s record as the oldest player in World Cup history to score a hat-trick. While the Portuguese icon set the previous milestone at 33 years old during a thrilling 3-3 draw against Spain at Russia 2018, the Argentine maestro raised the bar by achieving the feat at 38 years old.
Messi’s legendary performance also rewrote the history books, as the Argentine star matched Miroslav Klose as the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history with 16 goals.
Messi breaks World Cup ‘curse’ for Argentina
Argentina’s opening-day triumph carries a profound historical significance, exorcising a notorious ghost from the country’s soccer folklore. Following both of their previous World Cup titles (1978 and 1986), La Albiceleste had infamously stumbled into their subsequent title defenses.
see also
Lionel Messi explains tears after first goal vs Algeria: ‘It had nothing to do with football, I went through difficult days’
After winning the World Cup, they lost their opening match both times (to Belgium in 1982 and Cameroon in 1990). By taking care of business in Kansas City, Messi spearheaded a deeply therapeutic victory that shatters that historic jinx once and for all.
