Lionel Messi sends a message with his World Cup hat trick: He's still The Man around here

Messi's World Cup performance in Kansas City sent a strong message that he remains 'The Man' even as a new generation of stars emerges. The context included Mbappé surpassing him on the all-time World Cup goal-scoring list and Haaland announcing his arrival on the World Cup stage. Messi opened the scoring with a 20-yard strike through five Algerian defenders, a shot that counted despite an earlier offside moment. About ten minutes after halftime, he added a second from a rebound after a Mac Allister effort, sealing a commanding lead. The hat-trick moved Messi into a tie for first with Miroslav Klose at 16 World Cup goals, making him Argentina’s youngest-ever and oldest-ever World Cup scorer.

He left the field to a standing ovation at Arrowhead Stadium, illustrating his enduring appeal on the global stage as the sport evolves with Mbappé and Haaland in the spotlight.