If Lionel Messi hadn’t done enough throughout his career to make the case that he is the greatest soccer player of all time, he added to that argument on Tuesday night.
During Tuesday evening’s match between Argentina and Algeria, Messi notched three goals throughout the match to tie Miroslav Klose’s record for most men’s World Cup goals at 16. The hat trick was Messi’s 11th in international competition throughout his career and the first at the World Cup.
Messi Downplays the Mark
After the match, which Argentina won by a final score of 3-0, Messi made it clear that it’s an honor, but at the end of the day “it’s just stats.”
“It’s an honor being up there for what it means, being alongside Klose and [Brazil’s] Ronaldo, who is there also. But it doesn’t mean anything,” Messi said after the game via ESPN. “[Kylian] Mbappé is there, too, he scored twice today. At the end of the day, they are stats and nothing more.
“It’s an honor to compete with them, but it doesn’t mean anything. For me, Ronaldo, who I watched and is one of the greats, is not at the top. So, it’s just stats.”
Teammates Offer Reactions
While Messi did not have much of a reaction to breaking the record, his teammates were far more willing to talk up his greatness.
“It’s an advantage to have Leo because of how he handles the group and pushes it forward. Because of who he is,” Miami teammate Rodrigo De Paul said. “He doesn’t care about individual records. He prioritizes the group, and for us it’s incredible.”
“There are no words to describe him. If anyone thought this team was better without Leo, today it was proven that the opposite is true. He is our most important player,” Alexis Mac Allister added. “We need to build a team around him, and we are doing it.”
After the dominant opening win, Argentina is set to take on Austria in Dallas on June 22 before wrapping up group play against Jordan.
About Dave Kelsey
Contributing author to The Comeback.