"Numbers don't mean anything", says Messi after record-breaking World Cup hat-trick against Algeria

Missouri [US], June 17 (ANI): Lionel Messi said “numbers don’t mean anything” after surpassing Brazil’s Ronaldo and equalling German’s Miroslav Klose (16 goals) on the all-time FIFA World Cup goal-scoring list, reported Argentinian news outlet La Nacion. Notably, Messi opened his World Cup 2026 campaign with a magnificent Player of the Match-winning hat-trick, leading Argentina to a 3-0 win over Algeria on Tuesday (local time).

With the hat-trick, Messi registered his name in the record books for multiple accolades, the most notable being for the joint-most goals in World Cup history. He also moved past Ronaldo (15 goals), as well as Germany’s Gerd Muller and France’s Kylian Mbappe, who were both on 14 goals. Notably, Mbappe had earlier equalled Muller’s tally with a brace in France’s 3-1 win over Senegal earlier in the day.

Despite making history again, Messi stayed humble, saying he feels honoured but does not place much importance on records, describing them as “just one statistic” and noting that even great players like Ronaldo are not always at the top of such lists.

“It’s an honour. Mbappe and Ronaldo are there, but those numbers don’t mean anything. They’re just statistics. Ronaldo is one of the greatest and he’s not in first place, so it’s just one statistic,” he said as quoted by Argentine newspaper La Nacion.

In the match, Messi scored three different types of goals. Messi’s first came from a powerful long-range strike in the 17th minute after a quick free-kick from Argentina’s De Paul. His second was a close-range finish after a rebound fell kindly in the box following an effort from Mac Allister. He completed his hat-trick in the 76th minute with a composed curling finish after initiating the move himself with a mazy run.

Messi was seen in tears after scoring the opening goal of his hat-trick against Algeria. Explaining his emotions, Messi said his reaction was due to the “difficult and complicated” times he had recently faced.

“It was something unrelated to the game. I went through some difficult and complicated days. I’m grateful to the team and all my teammates. They were always by my side and gave me the strength to get through this,” he said.

Speaking about Argentina’s performance, Messi praised the team’s performance, saying the team managed the game well, stayed well-positioned in possession, and drew on experience from previous matches.

“We were well-positioned when we had the ball and we managed the game very well. We had the experience of the last one and nobody gives anything away,” Messi said.

After the win over Algeria, Argentina are next scheduled to be in action against Austria on June 22 (local time). (ANI)

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