Messi rewrites World Cup history with oldest-ever hat-trick

Lionel Messi has added yet another chapter to his extraordinary football legacy. The Argentina captain became the oldest player ever to score a hat-trick at a FIFA World Cup match, producing a vintage display in his team's 3-0 victory over Algeria at the 2026 tournament.

At 38 years of age, Messi surpassed the previous record held by Cristiano Ronaldo, who was 33 years and 130 days old when he netted a memorable hat-trick against Spain at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

The feat is all the more remarkable given that, despite owning virtually every major individual and team accolade in football, Messi had never scored a World Cup hat-trick before.

Over five World Cup appearances prior to 2026, he had delivered countless iconic moments—from leading Argentina to the 2022 title to becoming the tournament's second-highest scorer—but a hattrick had remained conspicuously absent from his resume.

That changed emphatically against Algeria.

Messi’s hat-trick not only secured Argentina's opening win of the tournament but also underlined that, even in the twilight of his career, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner remains capable of dominating football's biggest stage.

The previous age record had stood for eight years. Ronaldo's hat-trick against Spain in the group stage of the 2018 World Cup remains one of the competition''s most celebrated individual displays, highlighted by a dramatic late free-kick that salvaged a 3-3 draw for Portugal. Messi has now eclipsed that landmark by more than five years.

Already the oldest outfield player to represent Argentina at a World Cup, he has now become the oldest player ever to score a World Cup hat-trick, extending a legacy that continues to set new benchmarks nearly two decades after his international debut.

If there were any lingering doubts about whether age had finally caught up with him, his performance against Algeria offered a definitive answer. Even at 38, Messi is still proving that the world is his oyster.