Lionel Messi has equalled Klose’s World Cup goals record
This is according to Reuters.
Argentina beat Algeria 3–0 in their opening group stage match of the 2026 World Cup.
Lionel Messi scored all three goals for Argentina. He found the net in the 17th, 60th and 76th minutes.
Which record did Messi equal?
Following his hat-trick against Algeria, Messi now has 16 World Cup goals to his name.
With this tally, he has drawn level with former Germany striker Miroslav Klose, who until now had been the sole leader of the list of all-time top scorers in World Cup history.
Who has Messi overtaken?
Thanks to his three goals in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup, Messi has overtaken several legendary footballers at once.
He has now left behind Just Fontaine with 13 goals, Kylian Mbappé and Gerd Müller with 14 goals each, as well as Ronaldo, who scored 15 goals at World Cups.
What other achievements does Messi have to his name?
The match against Algeria marked Messi’s 200th appearance for the Argentina national team.
He also played his 27th World Cup match and became the first footballer to have played in six World Cups.
What’s next for Argentina
In the group stage of the 2026 World Cup, Argentina are set to face Austria and Jordan.
Messi has the chance to become the sole leader of the all-time World Cup top scorers list if he scores one more goal.
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