Lionel Messi moved to the brink of making even more FIFA World Cup history after delivering a sensational hat-trick in Argentina’s opening tournament victory over Algeria.
The Argentine captain marked historical 200th international appearance in style, leading the reigning world champions to a commanding 3-0 win while continuing his remarkable World Cup legacy.
softfootball gathered that Messi’s three goals saw him draw level with Miroslav Klose as the joint-highest scorer in FIFA World Cup history. He now needs just one more goal to become the outright record holder.
The 39-year-old is also on the verge of another historic milestone. Messi requires only one more assist to surpass Diego Maradona and become the player with the most assists in World Cup history.
His achievement came shortly after Kylian Mbappé had briefly moved ahead of him in the tournament scoring charts with his 14th World Cup goal.
With Argentina aiming to retain their world title, all eyes will now be on Messi as he closes in on two records that could further cement his status as one of the greatest players in football history.
