Lionel Messi scored three goals in Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Algeria on June 16 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. The performance tied Miroslav Klose’s all-time FIFA World Cup record of 16 goals and marked Messi’s 200th international appearance.
At 38 years old, Messi became the oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick. He netted goals in the 17th, 60th, and 76th minutes, reaching the milestone exactly two decades after his first World Cup goal in 2006. Klose previously set the record across 24 matches between 2002 and 2014.
The match also underscored growing financial technology integration in global sports. Messi maintains a partnership with Socios.com, valued at over $20 million, which utilizes the Chiliz blockchain for fan engagement. However, the Argentine fan token $ARG saw no immediate trading spikes following the historic performance.
Broader crypto adoption continues for the 2026 World Cup. Kraken serves as an official exchange partner, while FIFA has launched its digital collectibles platform on the Avalanche blockchain for licensed memorabilia.