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

Lionel Messi scored three goals against Algeria on June 17, leading Argentina to a 3-0 victory in their World Cup opener at Kansas City, Missouri. [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 race for the Golden Boot. Argentina's Lionel Messi, known as the "God of Football," achieved the tournament's first hat trick, while France's Kylian Mbappe and Norway's Erling Haaland each scored twice to lead their teams to victory.

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

This match marked Messi's 200th international appearance, and with his three goals, he now has 16 World Cup goals, tying the all-time record held by Miroslav Klose of Germany. Additionally, he became the first player to appear in six consecutive World Cups.

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 from the 2018 World Cup.

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

Kylian Mbappe scored two goals against Senegal on June 17, leading France to a 3-1 victory in their World Cup opener at New York/New Jersey Stadium. [Photo: Yonhap News, Reuters]

Mbappe, the top scorer of the 2022 Qatar World Cup, also made history on June 17, scoring two goals in France's 3-1 win over Senegal at New York/New Jersey Stadium. 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 Olivier Giroud's record for most goals by a French national team player and Just Fontaine's record for most World Cup goals by a French player.

Haaland, making his World Cup debut, also shone on June 17, scoring two goals in Norway's 4-1 victory over Iraq at Boston Stadium. He scored the opening goal in the 29th minute and added a second goal in the 43rd minute.

Erling Haaland scored two goals against Iraq on June 17, leading Norway to a 4-1 victory in their World Cup opener at Boston Stadium. [Photo: Yonhap News, Reuters]

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

Norway's victory marked their return to the World Cup finals for the first time since 1998, thanks to Haaland's performance.

With both Norway and France securing their first wins, Norway leads Group I on goal difference, with France in second place. Haaland and Mbappe are set to 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