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Jun 17, 20261
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Messi Leads 2026 World Cup Scoring After First Week with Hat-trick
Lionel Messi leads the 2026 World Cup scoring charts with three goals following a hat-trick against Algeria, equalling Miroslav Klose's all-time record of 16 World Cup goals. The tournament's first week produced 74 goals across 24 matches, with Spain and Cape Verde the only goalless draw.
Quick Facts
Who
Lionel Messi
What
First week of 2026 World Cup completed
When
First week of 2026 World Cup
Where
Canada, Mexico, and United States (tournament hosts)
- First week of 2026 World Cup completed
- Messi scored hat-trick
- Messi equalled Klose's all-time World Cup goal record
- 56 players scored goals across matches
- Spain and Cape Verde drew goalless
The first week of the 2026 FIFA World Cup produced 74 goals across 24 matches, with only one game ending in a draw. Argentina's captain Lionel Messi topped the scoring charts with three goals, achieved through a hat-trick in Argentina's 3-0 victory over Algeria at Kansas City Stadium. With this performance, Messi equalled Germany's Miroslav Klose's all-time World Cup goal record of 16 goals.
Messi holds a one-goal lead over his nearest competitors in the tournament's scoring table. France's Kylian Mbappé, Norway's Erling Haaland, England's Harry Kane, and Sweden's Yaasin Ayari each have two goals. Additional two-goal scorers include United States' Florian Balogun, Germany's Kai Havertz, and New Zealand's Elijah Just. The scoring was distributed broadly across the tournament, with 56 different players having registered goals in the opening week.
Spain and Cape Verde were the sole match to finish without goals on June 15. The first week concluded with a Colombia versus Uzbekistan match played in Mexico City. The tournament, hosted across Canada, Mexico, and the United States, has already demonstrated a high-scoring opening, with multiple nations contributing to the goal-scoring tally.
Why This Matters
Messi's record-equalling performance underscores his continued dominance on football's biggest stage at an advanced career stage, while the tournament's high-scoring opening week signals an exciting, attacking-oriented competition that may reshape expectations for goal-scoring patterns. For readers, this sets the narrative for the tournament's trajectory and highlights which players to monitor for the Golden Boot race.
Timeline & Sources
Jun 15, 2026
WireSpain and Cape Verde draw 0-0, the only goalless match of the first week
Jun 17, 2026
WireFirst week of 2026 World Cup concludes; Colombia defeats Uzbekistan in Mexico City
Jun 17, 2026
WireMessi confirmed as leading scorer with 3 goals, equalling Klose's all-time record of 16 World Cup goals