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Lionel Messi scores first career World Cup hat trick, ties all-time tournament goal record in win over Algeria originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
On Tuesday night, Lionel Messi made history. Twice.
Along with tying Miroslav Klose on the World Cup all-time leading goalscorer list, with 16 goals each, Messi just netted his first hat trick. The day of June 16 already held significance in Messi's heart, as 20 years ago to the day was when he scored his first World Cup goal at the 2006 edition in Germany.
Fast forward two decades to the present day, and one World Cup trophy later, Messi's form may somehow be better than it was on that iconic night in Germany.
Here's a look at Messi's stellar night, where two milestones were crossed off his list.
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Lionel Messi scores first career World Cup hat trick
On Tuesday night, Messi scored his first-ever World Cup hat trick. Algeria were the unfortunate side to bear witness to a Messi masterclass, and there was virtually nothing Luca Zidane could do but watch three shots sail past him. He is also now tied with Klose as the highest scorer in World Cup history.
Here are all of Messi's goals tonight, beginning in the first half:
In the 17th minute, Messi unleashed a left-foot shot that was slotted in the top-right corner.
In the 60th minute, Messi put the finishing touches after Algeria's goalkeeper, Luca Zidane, lost an Alexis Mac Allister shot. The effort fell right in front of Messi, and he didn't think twice about where to put it.
In the 76th minute, Messi finally earned his elusive first hat trick at the World Cup with a left-footed rocket from outside the box. With this goal, he has tied the all-time World Cup scoring record.
MORE: Messi's complete stats, goals, and highlights against Algeria
How many World Cup hat tricks have ever been scored
Throughout World Cup history, 55 total hat-tricks have been scored during the tournament, with Messi's name now added to that list. Since there have been 23 separate World Cups so far, an average of 2.3 hat tricks are scored per tournament, as of Messi's trifecta in 2026.
MORE: A look at each World Cup hat trick in tournament history
Who has the most World Cup hat tricks
Despite there being 23 editions of the World Cup since its debut in 1930, only four players have netted more than one World Cup hat trick. Here is the full list, along with which team they played for:
| Player | Team | Opponents | Year(s) |
| Sandor Kocsis | Hungary | South Korea, West Germany | 1954 |
| Just Fontaine | France | Paraguay, West Germany | 1958 |
| Gerd Muller | West Germany | Bulgaria, Peru | 1970 |
| Gabriel Batistuta | Argentina | Greece, Jamaica | 1994, 1998 |
Most goals in World Cup history
| Rank | Player | Country | Goals | Matches | Tournaments (WC wins in bold) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | Miroslav Klose | Germany | 16 | 24 | 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 |
| T1 | Lionel Messi* | Argentina | 16 | 27 | 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026 |
| 2. | Ronaldo | Brazil | 15 | 19 | 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006 |
| T3 | Gerd Muller | West Germany | 14 | 13 | 1970, 1974 |
| T3 | Kylian Mbappe* | France | 14 | 15 | 2018, 2022, 2026 |
| 5 | Just Fontaine | France | 13 | 26 | 1958 |
| 7. | Pele | Brazil | 12 | 14 | 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970 |
| T8. | Sandor Kocsis | Hungary | 11 | 5 | 1954 |
| T8. | Jurgen Klinsmann | West Germany/Germany | 11 | 17 | 1990, 1994, 1998 |
| T10. | Helmut Rahn | West Germany | 10 | 10 | 1954, 1958 |
| T10 | Gary Lineker | England | 10 | 12 | 1986, 1990 |
| T10 | Gabriel Batistuta | Argentina | 10 | 12 | 1994, 1998, 2002 |
| T10 | Teofilo Cubillas | Peru | 10 | 13 | 1970, 1978, 1982 |
| T10 | Thomas Muller | Germany | 10 | 19 | 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 |
| T10 | Grzegorz Lato | Poland | 10 | 20 | 1974, 1978, 1982 |
MORE: Where is Messi ranked among World Cup goalscorers?
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