At 39 years old, Lionel Messi has now scored more World Cup goals after turning 35 than some of the greatest players in football history managed across their entire careers at the tournament.
The Argentina captain's stunning hat-trick against Algeria moved him onto 16 World Cup goals overall, drawing level with Miroslav Klose as the competition's all-time leading scorer.
Remarkably, 10 of those goals have come since Messi celebrated his 35th birthday, underlining the extraordinary longevity that continues to define his international career.
Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images
Messi scored seven goals during Argentina's victorious 2022 World Cup campaign before adding another three against Algeria in his opening match of the 2026 tournament. That gives him 10 World Cup goals after the age of 35.
The figure is higher than the entire World Cup goal tally of several all-time greats. Cristiano Ronaldo scored eight World Cup goals during his career, while Thierry Henry finished with six.
Diego Maradona scored eight World Cup goals, Rivaldo managed eight and Neymar ended his tournament career with eight.
England captain Harry Kane has also scored eight World Cup goals. Messi has now surpassed all of them through his World Cup performances since turning 35 alone.
The hat-trick against Algeria was significant for more than one reason.
It moved Messi past Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazario's total of 15 World Cup goals and level with Miroslav Klose on 16 at the top of the all-time scoring charts.
The Argentina captain also reached two other historic milestones during the match.
Messi made his 200th appearance for Argentina and became the first player in football history to feature at six different World Cups.
At almost 39 years old, Messi is still adding to his legacy on the sport's biggest stage.
With Argentina's World Cup campaign only one match old, he now has the opportunity to move clear of Klose and become the outright leading scorer in tournament history.
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