Lionel Messi produced the World Cup’s first hat trick in Argentina’s win over Algeria, while Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland each scored twice on a day when several tournament superstars found the net, according to the report.
Messi, who will turn 39 next week and is an Inter Miami CF player, finished with three goals and was substituted in Kansas City with about 10 minutes remaining to a huge ovation, the report said. The trio of goals moved him level with Miroslav Klose on 16 World Cup goals, the report added.
Mbappé scored twice in France’s 3-1 victory over Senegal in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and became Les Bleus’ all-time leading scorer with 58 goals in 99 internationals, according to the report. The Real Madrid forward’s pair also took him to 13 and 14 World Cup goals, briefly moving him ahead of Pelé and Messi on the all-time World Cup scoring list, the report said.
Haaland made his World Cup debut for Norway in Boston and struck twice in the victory over Iraq, according to the report. His first was a sliding finish from a David Møller Wolfe cross and his second came after he pressured a poor back pass, leading to a goalkeeper clearance that rebounded off his shin; Haaland now has 57 goals in 51 international appearances, the report noted. He nearly had a third late in the second half but opted to work the ball onto his left, allowing the keeper time to make the save, the report said.
The report said Mbappé and Haaland announced their presence with clinical doubles, but Messi’s hat trick and his leap up the all-time World Cup charts served as a reminder of his standing in the game. The report noted Messi moved past Mbappé, Gerd Müller and Brazil’s Ronaldo to sit level with Klose, and added it may only be a matter of time before he claims the outright lead, though Mbappé could still challenge that position during the tournament.
