It was a remarkable day in the history of the FIFA World Cup, as superstars stepped onto the field to showcase their skills and find the back of the net. Leading the show was none other than Lionel Messi, who proved once again why he is the greatest of all-time with an awe-inspiring hat trick against Algeria.
Earlier in the day, Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland made their tournament debuts, each netting two goals for France and Norway in matches against Senegal and Iraq, respectively.
For a fleeting moment, it appeared that the new generation of stars was signaling a shift, suggesting this tournament would be theirs, while legends like Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo might merely observe from the sidelines as they pursued the Golden Boot.
– As it happened: Messi scores sensational hat trick against Algeria
– Mbappé rewrites France, World Cup history books as Les Bleus beat Senegal
– Haaland shines on World Cup debut, providing hope for Norway
However, Messi, soon to celebrate his 39th birthday, had different plans. Not only did he achieve the first hat trick of this World Cup, but he ascended the all-time scoring ranks to tie with legendary Germany striker Miroslav Klose as the leading World Cup scorer with 16 goals.
In just 80 minutes—before being substituted to a standing ovation with 10 minutes remaining in Kansas City—Messi surpassed Mbappé, Gerd Müller, and Brazil‘s Ronaldo to join Klose at the summit.
It seems inevitable that Messi will secure the top spot for himself, though Mbappé could potentially dethrone him before this World Cup concludes. After netting twice in France’s 3-1 victory against Senegal in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Mbappé became Les Bleus’ all-time leading goal scorer with 58 goals in 99 international appearances, surpassing former Arsenal and Chelsea forward Olivier Giroud.
The Real Madrid star also climbed to third in the all-time World Cup scoring charts with his 13th and 14th goals, temporarily surpassing Pelé (12 goals) and Messi (13).
Haaland, soon to turn 26, is just a year younger than Mbappé, but unlike the French star, the Manchester City forward lacks World Cup experience with Norway. His match against Iraq in Boston marked his World Cup debut, occurring in Norway’s first game in the tournament since 1998.
The only Haaland with World Cup credentials is his father, Alf-Inge, who played twice for Norway in the USA 1994 tournament, meaning Erling arrived in the U.S. with much to prove compared to both his father and Mbappé, who is arguably his fiercest rival for the Golden Boot this season.
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Leboeuf supports Mbappé’s bid to break Klose’s World Cup goal record
While Mbappé’s goals against Senegal were crafted with elegance—his first being a one-touch finish from a brilliant Michael Olise pass followed by a stunning long-range strike—Haaland’s goals epitomized his aggressive, opportunistic style of play. His initial goal was a sliding finish from David Møller Wolfe’s cross, followed by a second that capitalized on a defensive mistake, leading to an easy tap-in after forcing Iraq’s goalkeeper Jalal Hassan into a hurried clearance that ricocheted off Haaland’s body.
Ultimately, every goal counts. Whether they are spectacular or simply result from hard work, Haaland’s record of 57 goals in 51 international appearances certainly speaks for itself.
Haaland almost secured his hat trick as well, attempting to score a third late in the match; however, instead of quickly using his weaker right foot, he opted to shift the ball to his stronger left, allowing the Iraq keeper time to make the save.
Mbappé finished the day with two goals from four shots on target, while Haaland scored two from six attempts. If given the choice to select either for your team, it would be hard to complain with Haaland either. Although both are elite forwards vying for the title, Messi remains the undeniable centerpiece of attention.
The Argentina captain has accomplished everything yet continues to break records in this World Cup.
By featuring against Algeria, he not only became the first player to compete in six World Cups but also increased his record of appearances to 27 games played. Cristiano Ronaldo is set to join him on this achievement when Portugal faces Congo DR on Wednesday.
However, after witnessing the brilliance of Mbappé and Haaland earlier, it was clear that Messi was eager to etch his name onto the scoresheet.
And indeed, exactly 20 years after making his World Cup debut with a goal against Serbia and Montenegro in Germany 2006, the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star found the net again with a classic Messi strike, giving the world champions a 1-0 lead at Arrowhead Stadium.
This goal marked a milestone, making him both Argentina’s oldest and youngest goal scorer, while also celebrating his 200th international appearance with his 118th goal.
Yet Messi wasn’t done there. Motivated by the performances of Mbappé and Haaland, he aimed for a hat trick, reacting swiftly to capitalize on a spillage from goalkeeper Luca Zidane (son of French legend Zinedine Zidane) following Alexis Mac Allister‘s shot in the 60th minute, scoring the rebound.
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Moreno commends Haaland after his impressive World Cup debut
All of a sudden, Messi found himself tied with Brazil’s Ronaldo for second place in the all-time World Cup rankings at 15 goals.
But two wasn’t enough for him—he sought the hat trick, which he achieved with a perfectly placed left-footed shot from 20 yards out at the 76-minute mark.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who may have been watching, understands how both Mbappé and Haaland feel. With only eight World Cup goals since his own debut in 2006, the thought of becoming the leading World Cup scorer will be a long shot for him, as Messi claims yet another accolade.
Nonetheless, only Ronaldo (143 goals in 228 matches) has scored more international goals than Messi, and the Al Nassr forward will be eager to join Messi, Mbappé, and Haaland on the scoring charts Wednesday.
The spotlight is now on the former Real Madrid and Manchester United player, as the big stars rise to the occasion.
That’s something Messi has always done; he is a remarkable player, unmatched by even Ronaldo, Mbappé, or Haaland.