The Argentine captain scored a hat-trick against Algeria in Argentina’s opening Group J match. Consequently, his World Cup goal tally reached 16, matching Miroslav Klose’s all-time tournament record.
Messi also extended his record as the player with the most minutes played in World Cup history. After featuring for 79 minutes against Algeria, he has now accumulated 2,394 minutes on football’s biggest stage.
With 16 goals in 2,394 minutes, Messi averages one goal every 149 minutes. The remarkable statistic further highlights his consistency across six World Cup appearances.
Interestingly, Messi became far more prolific in the latter stages of his World Cup career. Between the 2006 and 2018 tournaments, he scored only six goals in total.
However, he netted seven goals during Argentina’s title-winning campaign at the 2022 World Cup. Moreover, he has already added three more goals in the opening match of the 2026 tournament.
After lifting the World Cup trophy in 2022, Messi initially hinted at retirement from international football. Nevertheless, he returned to help Argentina win the 2023 Copa America before confirming his place in the squad for the 2026 World Cup.
Argentina’s victory over Algeria gives the defending champions a strong start to their campaign. They will next face Austria on June 23 as Messi looks to surpass Klose’s all-time World Cup scoring record.
