Dubai, UAE – In a new historic achievement added to his legendary career, Argentine star Lionel Messi has equaled the record held by retired German striker Miroslav Klose. This is the highest scorer in the history of the FIFA World Cup, with 16 goals.
This achievement came in the early hours of Wednesday, June 17, 2026, during the opening match of the Argentine national team in the group stage of the 2026 World Cup. “The Flea” led his national team to a valuable and well-deserved 3-0 victory over the Algerian national team, in the competitions of Group 10.
Details of Argentine brilliance
Lionel Messi stole the show from the opening moments of the match, demonstrating his exceptional mental and physical readiness to defend the “Tango” title. Messi scored his three goals (a hat trick) as follows:
The first goal: He opened the scoring in the 17th minute of the first half with a rocket shot from outside the penalty area that nestled in the top corner of the Algerian goal.
Second goal: Messi extended Argentina’s lead in the 60th minute, following up a rebound with a precise shot, confidently placing the ball into the net.
The third goal: The Argentine star completed his hat-trick in the 76th minute with a superb strike. After that, the coaching staff decided to rest him, replacing him with the young player Nico Paz in the 78th minute.
With this exceptional performance, Messi raised his World Cup goal tally to 16, equaling Miroslav Klose’s long-standing record. Messi is now just one goal away from becoming the tournament’s all-time leading scorer. For this reason, football fans eagerly anticipate this milestone in the upcoming matches.
Meanwhile, Messi currently tops the all-time scoring charts, locked in a fierce battle with French star Kylian Mbappé, who has 14 goals. This sets the stage for a heated scoring race between the two during this World Cup. It’s worth noting that this victory earned Argentina their first three points in their quest to defend their title, temporarily placing them at the top of Group J. Algeria, on the other hand, will be looking to regain their footing in upcoming matches to keep their hopes of advancing to the next round alive.
