World Cup goals record ‘just a number’, says Messi

Lionel Messi described it as a “beautiful moment” after matching the FIFA World Cup all-time scoring record on Tuesday, though he downplayed the achievement, insisting that it was “just a statistic” in the grand scheme of things.

The 38-year-old Argentina captain added another landmark to his extraordinary career by scoring a hat-trick in Argentina’s commanding 3-0 victory over Algeria in Kansas City.

The treble — Messi’s first-ever World Cup hat-trick — took his tally to 16 goals in the tournament, drawing level with Germany’s Miroslav Klose as the World Cup’s joint highest scorer.

Brazilian legend Ronaldo sits next on the list with 15 goals, followed by Germany’s Gerd Müller and France forward Kylian Mbappé on 14 each.

“Sharing this moment with my family, my teammates and everyone who has always supported me is something very special,” said Messi. “I’m very happy.”

Reflecting on the milestone, he added: “It’s an honour to be mentioned alongside players like Klose and the others. Ronaldo is there too, and Mbappé scored twice today, but I don’t attach too much importance to these numbers.

“At the end of the day, it’s simply a statistic.”

Messi’s clinical display reinforced Argentina’s ambitions of becoming the first nation since Brazil in 1962 to successfully defend a World Cup title.

“We have a very united and strong squad,” he said. “I’m feeling good, and we managed to come through a difficult match. Starting the tournament with a victory is always important.

“I’m also grateful to our supporters. Once again they showed how passionate Argentina is about football — the stadium was packed with our fans.”

Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni admitted he was running out of ways to praise his captain.

“I no longer have the words to describe Messi,” Scaloni said. “For two decades he has produced performances like this and continues to inspire everyone who watches him.”

Midfielder Alexis Mac Allister emphasised Messi’s enduring influence on the team despite his age.

“If anyone believed this team would be better without Leo, today proved the opposite,” he said. “Leo remains the most important player in this group.”

Meanwhile, Rodrigo De Paul, who set up Messi’s opening goal, summed up the captain’s performance in simple terms, calling him “a beast.”