On a night already dripping with history, Lionel Messi added yet another record to his collection—becoming the third-oldest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history at 38 years and 357 days old.
The Argentine captain’s first goal in the 17th minute, a stunning strike from 25 yards out, officially placed him behind only Cameroon’s Roger Milla (42 years, 39 days in 1994) and Portugal’s Pepe (39 years, 283 days in 2022) on the all-time list.
A Cascade of Records
The milestone was just one of many on a magical evening at Arrowhead Stadium. Messi’s hat-trick—the first of his World Cup career—came 20 years to the day after his World Cup debut against Serbia and Montenegro in 2006. He opened the scoring in the 17th minute, doubled Argentina’s lead in the 60th, and completed his treble in the 76th.
Each goal rewrote the history books:
· Oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick, breaking Cristiano Ronaldo’s previous record
· Oldest player to score twice in a World Cup match
· Tied Miroslav Klose’s all-time record of 16 World Cup goals
· Second player to score in five World Cups (2006, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026)
· First player to appear in six World Cup tournaments
· Third player to reach 200 international caps
From Teenage Debut to Veteran History
Messi now holds the remarkable distinction of being both Argentina’s youngest and oldest World Cup goalscorer. He scored his first World Cup goal as an 18-year-old in 2006; now, at 38, he continues to define longevity in the sport.
“He is now even more important to us,” coach Lionel Scaloni had said on the eve of the match. After the final whistle, he was left searching for words: “I have no words to describe Messi”.
What Lies Ahead
Messi will turn 39 on June 24. With at least two group-stage matches remaining, he needs just one more goal to claim the outright World Cup scoring record. As Argentina chase their first back-to-back World Cup titles since Brazil in 1962, their captain shows no signs of slowing down.
On a night when the roads around Kansas City Stadium were clogged with tens of thousands of Argentine fans in blue and white, Messi gave them yet another chapter in football’s greatest story—reminding the world that age, for him, is just a number.
