The FIFA World Cup 2026 kicked off with a spectacular opening day as football's biggest stars delivered unforgettable performances. Lionel Messi produced a vintage hat-trick for Argentina, Kylian Mbappe shattered a long-standing French record, and Erling Haaland marked his World Cup debut with a brace, lighting up the tournament's first matches.
Messi's Historic Hat-Trick
At Kansas City Stadium, 38-year-old Lionel Messi made his record sixth World Cup finals appearance and delivered his first World Cup hat-trick. His three goals in Argentina's 3-0 victory over Algeria moved him level with German legend Miroslav Klose as the tournament's all-time leading scorer with 16 goals.
Messi opened the scoring with a trademark long-range strike, then pounced on a rebound for his second, and completed the treble with a precise left-footed finish from outside the box. The hat-trick came exactly 20 years after his first World Cup goal against Serbia and Montenegro at Germany 2006.
Mbappe Becomes France's All-Time Top Scorer
Earlier in the day, Kylian Mbappe made history during France's 3-1 win over Senegal. The Real Madrid forward scored twice to take his international tally to 58 goals, surpassing Olivier Giroud to become France's outright all-time leading scorer. Mbappe's double also carried him to 14 World Cup goals, placing him among the competition's greatest scorers.
Bradley Barcola also made a mark, becoming the youngest French player to score on his World Cup debut since Thierry Henry in 1998.
Haaland's Dream Debut
Norway's first World Cup appearance since 1998 saw Erling Haaland waste no time making an impact. The Manchester City star scored twice in a 4-1 victory over Iraq, netting Norway's opening goal with a close-range finish before forcing an error from goalkeeper Jalal Hassan for his second. The brace took his international tally to 57 goals in just 51 appearances.
Record Attendance
June 16, 2026, became the highest attended day in FIFA World Cup history, with 281,223 people attending matches, according to an official post by FIFA on X.
