Zurich, Switzerland – FIFA President Gianni Infantino expressed his admiration for the historic achievement of Argentine star Lionel Messi during the match against Algeria in the 2026 World Cup.
Messi led Argentina to a valuable 3-0 victory over Algeria early Wednesday morning in the first round of the group stage, after scoring all three of his team’s goals (a hat-trick).
The Tango captain raised his tally to 16 goals in his World Cup history, equaling Germany’s Miroslav Klose at the top of the tournament’s all-time top scorers list.
Infantino wrote on his official X account: “I congratulate world champion Lionel Messi on scoring his 16th World Cup goal and equalling the record for the number of goals in the tournament’s history.”
He added: “This achievement embodies an exceptional career and continued brilliance at the highest level, as you continue to delight and inspire millions of football fans around the world.”
Argentina is in Group 10 of the 2026 World Cup, along with Austria, Jordan and Algeria.
