Messi, Mbappe, and Haaland Shine in World Cup Scoring Race

Lionel Messi scored three goals against Algeria in the tournament's group stage match, leading Argentina to a 3-0 victory. [Photo=Yonhap News, Reuters]

World football's top scorers showcased their talents in the opening matches of the 2026 FIFA North America World Cup, igniting a fierce competition for the Golden Boot. Argentina's Lionel Messi achieved the tournament's first hat trick, while Kylian Mbappe of France and Erling Haaland of Norway each scored twice to secure decisive victories for their teams.

On June 17, local time, Messi scored three goals in Argentina's 3-0 win over Algeria at Kansas City Stadium in Missouri. He opened the scoring in the 17th minute and added two more goals in the 60th and 76th minutes.

This performance marked a significant milestone in Messi's career, as it was his 200th international match. With this hat trick, he now has 16 World Cup goals, tying the all-time record held by Miroslav Klose of Germany. Additionally, Messi became the first player to appear in six consecutive World Cup tournaments.

Messi also set a new record for the oldest player to score a hat trick in World Cup history at 38 years and 357 days, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo's previous record set in 2018 at the age of 33.

He now holds the record for the most all-time World Cup goal contributions (goals plus assists), with 24 points (16 goals and 8 assists), overtaking the previous record of 22 set by Brazilian legend Pelé.

Kylian Mbappe scored two goals against Senegal, leading France to a 3-1 victory in their group stage match. [Photo=Yonhap News, Reuters]

Mbappe, the top scorer of the 2022 Qatar World Cup, also made history on June 17 at New Jersey Stadium in New York/New Jersey, scoring two goals in France's 3-1 win over Senegal. He netted the opening goal in the 66th minute with an assist from Michael Olise and sealed the victory with a powerful long-range shot in stoppage time.

With these goals, Mbappe reached 58 career international goals and 14 World Cup goals, breaking both the records for France's all-time leading scorer previously held by Olivier Giroud (57 goals) and the most World Cup goals by a French player held by Just Fontaine (13 goals).

Making his World Cup debut, Haaland also proved his worth in Norway's first match of the tournament. On June 17, he scored the opening and final goals in a 4-1 victory over Iraq at Boston Stadium in Massachusetts, netting his first goal in the 29th minute and his second in the 43rd minute.

Erling Haaland scored two goals against Iraq, leading Norway to a 4-1 victory in their group stage match. [Photo=Yonhap News, Reuters]

Haaland, a three-time Premier League top scorer, showcased his exceptional physical ability and goal-scoring prowess on the World Cup stage.

Norway's victory marked their first win in the World Cup finals in 28 years since the 1998 tournament in France.

With both Norway and France securing their first wins, Norway currently leads Group I based on goal difference, with France in second place. The two goal scorers, Haaland and Mbappe, will face off in a highly anticipated match on June 27 at Boston Stadium.

* This article has been translated by AI.

Kang Sang Heon ksh@ajunews.com