Lionel Messi’s hat-trick in Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Algeria at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Wednesday further strengthened his record in football’s biggest tournament.

The Argentina and Inter Miami captain equalled Miroslav Klose’s all-time World Cup scoring record of 16 goals and matched the German’s tally of 17 World Cup victories.

Messi is now the only player in World Cup history to have scored against eleven different national teams. He surpassed the previous mark of ten held by Brazil’s Ronaldo Nazário and Germany’s Jürgen Klinsmann.