Lionel Messi Equals World Cup Goals Record with Historic Hat-Trick

Missouri: Argentina captain Lionel Messi made World Cup history by scoring a hat-trick in his side's 3-0 victory over Algeria, equalling Miroslav Klose's all-time men's World Cup scoring record of 16 goals.

The 38-year-old became the oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick and also became the first footballer to appear in six FIFA World Cups. The three goals marked Messi's first-ever World Cup hat-trick and his 11th for Argentina.

After the match, Messi downplayed the achievement, saying it was an honour to be mentioned alongside legends such as Klose and Ronaldo, but insisted records were not his focus.

The Argentine star also revealed he was emotional after scoring his first goal, explaining that he had recently gone through difficult personal days and was grateful for the support of his teammates.

The victory also saw Messi draw level with Klose for the most World Cup wins by a player, with 17. Argentina will next face Austria before concluding their group-stage campaign against Jordan.