Messi 16, Klose 16: The hat-trick that propels Argentina and questions Africa

Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick in Argentina's 3-0 victory over Algeria in the 2026 World Cup, taking his World Cup goal tally to 16, tying Miroslav Klose's record. Messi's performance propelled Argentina to the top of their group and raised questions about Algeria's defense and the level of African teams against top nations.