Lionel Messi becomes first player named to six World Cups, scores vs Algeria

sportsJun 17, 2026542,081

Lionel Messi started for Argentina at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City in their World Cup Group J opener against Algeria, marking his sixth World Cup roster selection. He opened the scoring with a 17th-minute goal to put the defending champions 1-0 up. The milestone and early goal underline Messi's extraordinary longevity on the international stage and give Argentina a fast start defending their 2022 title.

Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò

@olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social

getting the distinct impression that Lionel Messi is good at soccer

3774h ago

Adam C10

Zidane (goalie) may need to take one for the team and headbutt him

Jiboia de 1.5m do Anel Viário de Limeira9

Oh he’s alright I think he has a great career ahead of him

Daniel Brody5

Messi looks like he’s teaching a class out there

Missing Ingredient Goddess2

And not an arrogant bone in his body.

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@kleinman.bsky.social

ANNOUNCER: Lionel Messi is trying to score a hat track OLD GUYS: Yes, yes!!!!! ANNOUNCER: Against Zinedine Zidane's son OLD GUYS: Well this sucks, what the fuck

2264h ago

Craig12

Tried to explain to my daughters who the Algerian goalie was and who is father was and now all of our brains are broken.

nate abbott2

zinedine zidane's TWENTY EIGHT YEAR OLD son

glaciersgpt.bsky.social2

Young Zizou seems eager to see that hat trick up close

Rodger Sherman

@rodger.bsky.social

the past few weeks I've seen a bunch of posts like "can you believe LIONEL MESSI is playing a soccer game in (x location in the United States" which is pretty funny considering where he currently plays club soccer

1895h ago

(insert indycar pun)23

Lionel Messi has played soccer in Chester, PA!

Chris Camposeo6

This would have been even funnier a year ago when the answer wasn’t Miami

bitter aubie5

ok but i genuinely cannot believe he played a game in auburn, alabama

abeewon3

best thing about miami is that its so close to the united states

Men in Blazers Media Network

@meninblazers.bsky.social

What a gift to see Lionel Messi play in a record SIX World Cups 🐐

1435h ago

spiralj.bsky.social16

*men's Formiga has played in 7.

StLSparty’s Music Video of the Day2

A real man would know 6 isn’t the record

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick

@reichlinmelnick.bsky.social

Okay I get it, Lionel Messi is a good player.

1525h ago

sandracarioca.bsky.social5

this is like saying Michael Phelps is a good swimmer. Messi is a freak of nature. And I say that as a Brazilian.

S Pahwa3

More interesting is how Zidane Jr looks just like his papa.

Some guy3

Good strike, but baby Zidane’s gonna want that one back.

Ella Brockway

@ellabrockway.bsky.social

Lionel Messi hat trick + Erling Haaland brace + Kylian Mbappé brace all within an eight-hour span is just a lovely gift from the soccer gods

1104h ago

erg792

In regret that Infantino is loving this as well

Kim McCauley

@kimischilling.bsky.social

If I was as rich as Lionel Messi I think I’d probably retire. He must really like soccer.

1034h ago

Kim McCauley38

Sorry but rich people who still go to work are weird

Norm Charlatan13

I think without it, he will die.

Call Me The Brie-ze7

"Football is a good walk spoiled." -- Lionel Messi

Sophie Lawson6

the general thing of being so deep underwater in a sport since childhood and only knowing the rhythms of training/playing, even if they have a wife/kids, so many footballers are so lost in the sport, retiring must be daunting.

Blue sky nice ghost5

It's so funny how much rich dudes in every sport still play after becoming rich. Dude, you can quit!!!!

P.J. [peej] Tikalsky3

Atp im more concerned about what’s gonna happen when he retires. Is he just gonna ascend into heaven? Do Lays ads for the rest of his life?

dylan clark2

I appreciate that he seems really committed to playing on the same team as his pals, but not to the extent that it's embarrassing (at least not yet)

Ben Jacobs

@jacobsben.bsky.social

Lionel Messi is now Argentina's youngest (18) and oldest (38) scorer at a World Cup. He scored against Serbia & Montenegro exactly 20 years ago today in 2006 on his World Cup debut. Now Messi has also scored against Algeria in 2026 on his 200th cap for his country.🇦🇷

614h ago

thicc husband and father

@lukeisamazing.bsky.social

scouts in 2001: this is Lionel Messi. at 14, he’s a god with the ball. he has the best eye for passing in football history and his left foot is a holy relic that locals touch to cure their ailments. his only problem is that gravity hates him and he’s the same height as Yoda

Moneyball: Jonah Hill explaining player value to Brad Pitt on the whiteboard

495h ago

stim possible

@jessespector.com

lionel messi has scored goals in kansas city, missouri, and kansas city, kansas. patrick mahomes hasn’t done that. they don’t even have goals in patrick mahomes’ sport

524h ago

stim possible9

field goals, sure, but that’s entirely different. kicking a ball above a crossbar is easy. a brain-dead misogynist could pull off that shit

matt2

kansas barely exists. Nothing that happens there will ever matter The Algerians are cool though

No Escalators

@noescalators.bsky.social

Lionel Messi World Cup Hat Tricks before joining MLS: 0 Lionel Messi World Cup Hat Tricks since joining MLS: 1 Seems pretty obvious the USA is where you go if you want to get better at soccer

464h ago

Jonathan Tannenwald

@jtannenwald.bsky.social

A truly remarkable performance by Lionel Messi. Not just to score three goals in a World Cup game at age 38, but the manner of them.

554h ago

Paul Tenorio

@paultenorio.bsky.social

Can Lionel Messi still do it at a World Cup level? His first career World Cup hat trick. Ties the all-time lead for World Cup goals. Yeah, he's still got it. The greatest of all time. A transformational athlete. us.macmillan.com/books/978125...

434h ago