Messi hat-trick equals scoring record as Argentina tops Algeria in World Cup opener

Lionel Messi scored three goals in Argentina’s 3-0 demolition of Algeria on June 16, tying Miroslav Klose’s all-time record of 16 FIFA World Cup goals. The match, played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, doubled as Argentina’s opening defense of their World Cup title and Messi’s 200th international appearance.

At 38 years old, Messi became the oldest player to score a hat-trick in World Cup history. That’s exactly two decades after he scored his first World Cup goal at the 2006 tournament in Germany.

Three goals, one record, zero surprises

Messi opened the scoring in the 17th minute, then added his second in the 60th and completed the hat-trick in the 76th.

The hat-trick brought his career World Cup tally to 16 goals, pulling level with Germany’s Miroslav Klose, who set the record across four World Cup tournaments between 2002 and 2014. Klose needed 24 matches to reach that number.

What this means for crypto and fan tokens

Messi has a longstanding partnership with Socios.com, the fan engagement platform built on the Chiliz blockchain. That deal is reportedly valued at over $20 million. The Argentine fan token, $ARG, operates on the Chiliz blockchain and gives holders voting rights on minor club and team decisions.

Despite the magnitude of Messi’s performance, no immediate trading spikes were observed in $ARG or related fan tokens following the match.

The 2026 World Cup has deeper crypto ties than previous editions. Kraken is serving as an official crypto exchange partner for the tournament. FIFA has also launched FIFA Collect, a digital collectibles platform built on the Avalanche blockchain, giving fans the ability to purchase and trade officially licensed digital memorabilia.

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