All the World Cup Records Lionel Messi Shattered in a Single Match

Exactly twenty years after scoring his maiden World Cup goal, the 38-year-old maestro Lionel Messi turned back the clock last night (June 16), netting a historic hat-trick against Algeria to score his 16th career World Cup goal. On a magical night at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium, where Argentina blew away Algeria 3-0, Messi equaled the legendary German striker Miroslav Klose to become the joint-highest goalscorer in World Cup history.

Showing the world that 'La Pulga' is far from finished even at 38, the global megastar rewrote multiple long-standing FIFA World Cup records in a single ninety-minute masterclass.

A Glance at Messi's Historic Milestones:

• All-Time Highest Goalscorer in World Cup History:

  With his clinical hat-trick, Messi's total World Cup goal tally now stands at 16. This feat brings him level with Germany's iconic forward Miroslav Klose, making him the joint all-time top scorer in the tournament's history.

• First Player in History to Feature in 6 World Cups:

  The moment he stepped onto the pitch at Arrowhead Stadium, Lionel Messi etched his name in football folklore as the first and only player in the history of the sport to participate across six different editions of the FIFA World Cup.

• Oldest Hat-Trick Scorer in World Cup History:

  By putting three past Algeria at 38 years and 358 days old, Messi set an unbelievable record as the oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick. He comfortably shattered the previous records held by Russia's Oleg Salenko in 1994 and Cristiano Ronaldo in 2018, both of whom achieved their hat-tricks at the age of 33.

• Argentina’s Oldest-Ever World Cup Goalscorer:

  On this exact date two decades ago, he became Argentina’s youngest-ever World Cup goalscorer. Exactly twenty years later, at 38 years and 358 days, he completed the full circle of longevity by becoming the nation's oldest-ever World Cup goalscorer.

• Oldest Player to Score a World Cup Brace:

  The record for the oldest player to score a brace (two goals) in a single World Cup match was long held by Cameroon icon Roger Milla. At 38 years old, Messi outpaced the African legend to add another feather to his cap.

The Elusive World Cup Hat-Trick

Despite boasting countless hat-tricks across his club career and non-tournament internationals, a World Cup hat-trick had eluded the legendary number 10 for two decades. That final box was emphatically checked in the 76th minute of the match when Messi executed a breathtaking finish to secure his first-ever World Cup hat-trick.

This historic night in Kansas City will live long in the memories of football purists, witnessing a 38-year-old titan single-handedly dismantle and rearrange the most prestigious records in World Cup history.