Lionel Scaloni was left in awe by Lionel Messi’s performance in Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Algeria, declaring that the Argentine captain will remain the best player in the world for as long as he wants to keep playing football.
Messi made history in Argentina’s opening Group J match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, scoring his first-ever World Cup hat-trick. With his three goals against Algeria, he equaled Miroslav Klose’s all-time FIFA World Cup scoring record, with 16 goals each.
At the age of 38 years and 357 days, Messi became the oldest player ever to score a hat-trick at a FIFA World Cup, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo’s record, which was set against Spain in 2018. He also became the oldest player to score more than one goal in a single World Cup match, breaking Roger Milla’s long-standing record.
After the match, Scaloni was full of praise for his captain.
“I have no words for Leo. He has been doing this for 20 years. What he does and what he transmits is simply unbelievable.
“Beyond the three goals, Messi carried the team on his shoulders and, for as long as he wants, he will be the best in the world. It’s emotional to watch him perform at this level, almost 39 years old. It’s very difficult to explain.”
Scaloni believes the last few years have been the finest period of Messi’s international career.
“He has always played at a very high level, but these last few years with Argentina have been extraordinary. He found a group of friends who play alongside him rather than treating him like a god. He transmits something that is difficult to explain—he has a special aura.”
Messi himself, however, played down the significance of the historic milestone, insisting that statistics are not what motivates him.
“To be honest, I don’t really care. It’s an honor to be there because of what Klose represents. Ronaldo is there too, and Mbappé as well. It’s just a statistic and nothing more.”
“We’re proud to be compared with them, but that doesn’t mean anything to me. Ronaldo was one of the greatest players of all time and he isn’t even first on that list, so in the end, it’s just a statistic.”
