World Cup 2026: Messi Makes History With a Hat Trick, Now Ronaldo Faces His Test in Houston

Messi’s Record Night

Lionel Messi delivered the moment of the tournament’s opening week. The 38-year-old scored three goals as Argentina routed Algeria 3-0 in Kansas City on Tuesday night. It was his first career World Cup hat trick, and it pulled him level with Miroslav Klose for the all-time tournament scoring record at 16 goals.
The timing made it even bigger. The match fell exactly 20 years to the day after Messi’s World Cup debut, and it marked his 200th international appearance for Argentina.

Mbappe Matches Him

Messi wasn’t the only star who showed up. France beat Senegal 3-1 the same day, with Kylian Mbappe scoring twice to become France’s all-time leading scorer. Norway’s Erling Haaland also scored twice in a 4-1 win over Iraq, but the night belonged to Messi.

Ronaldo’s Turn in Houston

Now the attention shifts to Cristiano Ronaldo. Portugal opened its campaign against DR Congo on Wednesday at NRG Stadium in Houston, with Ronaldo making a record-tying sixth World Cup appearance.
The match has been tight. Joao Neves put Portugal ahead in the first half, but DR Congo answered right before the break, with Yoane Wissa scoring his country’s first-ever World Cup goal to make it 1-1.
DR Congo earned this spot the hard way. The team qualified through an intercontinental playoff win over Jamaica, returning to the World Cup for the first time since 1974 — a 52-year gap. That history hasn’t stopped them from matching Portugal’s pace so far.

What’s Next

The result is still unfolding, but DR Congo has already made one thing clear: this won’t be an easy night for Ronaldo. With Messi and Mbappe both off to strong starts, the early storyline of this tournament is the sport’s biggest names showing they can still take over a World Cup.
Sources:
ESPN — espn.com/soccer
Al Jazeera — aljazeera.com/sports