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Good morning, I'm Dan Gartland. I can only imagine how much Cristiano Ronaldo despised watching Lionel Messi write yet another chapter in his World Cup legacy.
In today's SI:AM:
🇦🇷 Messi puts on a show
🏴 England's new Golden Generation
🇵🇹 Portugal looks to win for Ronaldo
Messi's stunning World Cup return
Lionel Messi hasn't lost a step.
The 38-year-old GOAT added yet another remarkable entry to his already unmatched résumé last night with a hat trick in Argentina's World Cup opener against Algeria in Kansas City. He fired one into the top corner in the 17th minute, pounced on a rebound in the 60th minute and slotted home a low strike from the edge of the box in the 76th minute.
"Messi doing Messi things," Algeria midfielder Ibrahim Maza said of the legend's performance. "I think I don't need to explain. You just have to watch the game, you know it when you see it, Messi things."
It was a remarkable encore for Messi following his triumph with Argentina at the last World Cup in 2022. He faced plenty of skeptics heading into that tournament in Qatar. His debut season with Paris Saint-Germain in '21–22 had been disappointing, with just 11 goals across 34 appearances. Yet he silenced his critics at that World Cup, netting seven goals in seven matches, including one in extra time during the final. Messi faced similar doubts when he made the move to MLS, a league long viewed as a retirement destination for European stars, but once again he proved he can still perform at the highest level on the world stage.
Tuesday night's three goals drew Messi level with former Germany forward Miroslav Klose for most goals ever scored at the World Cup (16). It appears only a matter of time before he surpasses Klose in the weeks ahead, though he may not finish the tournament as the record holder. France's Kylian Mbappé is hot on his heels with 14 career World Cup goals after netting twice in his side's victory over Senegal on Tuesday.
Tuesday was the most star-packed day of this World Cup so far. With Argentina, France and Norway all playing their opening group stage fixtures, three of the planet's greatest players took the field—and none of them disappointed. Between Messi, Mbappé and Norway's Erling Haaland, it's hard to imagine another single day at this tournament delivering such a concentration of attacking brilliance. Messi is an all-time great, Mbappé is a superstar in his prime who has topped his league's scoring charts eight years running (six times in France's Ligue 1 with PSG and twice in Spain's La Liga with Real Madrid), and Haaland was the Premier League's top scorer in three of the last four seasons.
All three icons delivered multi-goal performances on Tuesday. Alongside Messi's hat trick and Mbappé's brace, Haaland bagged a pair of goals in Norway's 4–1 victory over Iraq. Three superstars, seven goals combined.
The reason fans tune in to the World Cup—even Americans who rarely follow soccer—is that it offers a unique chance to see the world's finest players all competing in one place. Tuesday was an even rarer occasion, with three legends of the game all stepping up and justifying their reputations on the grandest stage. And the best part? They'll all be back in action in less than a week. All three players return on Monday.
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The top five…
… non-Messi goals from Tuesday's World Cup action: 5. A well-executed corner kick for Austria. 4. Erling Haaland's sliding effort for his opening goal. (Here's another angle that better illustrates just how difficult it was to connect with the ball.) 3. Leo Østigård's towering header to extend Norway's lead over Iraq. 2. Romano Schmid's strike into the top corner to put Austria ahead against Jordan. 1. Ali Olwan's shot that deflected perfectly off the inside of the post for Jordan's equalizer against Austria. (A Jordan own goal restored Austria's lead in the second half, and Austria sealed the win from the penalty spot deep into stoppage time.)
Today's best reads
Incredible All-Time World Cup Records Lionel Messi Could Break This Summer
'Difficult'—Lionel Messi Explains Why He Cried After Scoring for Argentina
Argentina Player Ratings vs. Algeria: Magical Messi Opens World Cup With Record Night
Who Is the Top Dog of the World Cup's Biggest Teams?
Every Goal Lionel Messi Has Scored at the World Cup
Dan Gartland authors Sports Illustrated's flagship daily newsletter, SI:AM, and serves as host of the "Stadium Wonders" video series. He joined the SI team in 2014, after previously contributing to Deadspin and Slate. A Fordham University graduate, Gartland is a former Sports Jeopardy! champion (Season 1, Episode 5).