Lionel Messi’s explosive performance against Algeria in Group J of the 2026 World Cup on the morning of June 17 left the world media astonished.
The 38-year-old superstar shone with a hat-trick against the African representatives, bringing home the first 3 points for Argentina at the 2026 World Cup. After this peak performance, M10 received admiration and praise from both fans and foreign media.
AS (Spain) commented: “Messi changes World Cup history”. In the article, this newspaper mentioned that M10 equaled Miroslav Klose’s greatest goal-scoring record in World Cup history (15 goals), while also becoming the oldest player to score a hat-trick in the tournament (38 years old).
The Sun (England) headlined: “Messi’s crazy hat-trick kicks off a favorable 2026 World Cup campaign for Argentina”. The British media highly appreciated M10’s influence and delicate finishes throughout the match.
Meanwhile, ESPN (USA) hailed Messi and praised the Argentine superstar for breaking a series of records after just one match. The host country’s media outlet also described the excited atmosphere of the Argentine fans as they witnessed their number one star taking no time to adapt to the 2026 World Cup.
TyC Sports (Argentina) remarked that their national team had a resounding victory, fitting for their status as defending champions. The Argentine sports newspaper also had plenty of praise for Rodrigo De Paul, the midfielder who had an impressive performance alongside Messi against Algeria.
At the age of 38, Messi once again proved his extraordinary class. He helped Argentina get off to a favorable start on their journey to defend the championship.
