Lionel Messi powers Argentina with five goals in two matches at World Cup 2026

Lionel Messi opened the 2026 FIFA World Cup with five goals in Argentina’s first two games – a hat‑trick against Algeria and a brace versus Austria – putting him at the top of the tournament’s scoring chart. At 39, he now surpasses his own tally from Qatar 2022 and becomes the all‑time leading scorer in World Cup history, edging past Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland who trail by one goal.

The Argentine captain’s surge has revived discussions about the team’s reliance on his goals, while teammates Lautaro Martínez and Julián Álvarez remain scoreless. Messi also eyes a historic Argentine record: the most goals in a single World Cup edition, a mark set at eight by Guillermo Stábile in 1930. Coaches and pundles, including Zlatan Ibrahimović and Thierry Henry, praised his relaxed joy and hunger for a final major tournament appearance.