Messi’s Historic Hat-Trick Headlines a Difficult Day for Arab Nations at the World Cup

The 2026 FIFA World Cup delivered another day filled with record-breaking achievements and memorable results, with Argentina captain Lionel Messi stealing the spotlight by leading the defending champions to a comfortable victory over Algeria. France and Norway also made strong starts to their Group I campaigns, while Jordan suffered defeat in their first-ever World Cup match.

Messi Shines and Equals Klose’s Record

At Kansas City Stadium, Lionel Messi once again demonstrated his brilliance by scoring a historic hat-trick as Argentina defeated Algeria 3-0 in Group J.

The victory carried special significance for the Argentine legend, who became the first player in football history to appear in six different FIFA World Cup tournaments, having featured in the 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026 editions.

Messi also increased his World Cup tally to 16 goals, drawing level with German legend Miroslav Klose as the tournament’s all-time leading scorer. The Argentine captain found the net in the 17th, 60th and 76th minutes to secure all three points for the reigning champions.

Jordan Score Their First World Cup Goal but Fall to Austria

In the second match of the group, Jordan’s historic first appearance at a FIFA World Cup ended in a 3-1 defeat to Austria in San Francisco.

The Nashama entered the tournament full of optimism following recent successes, including reaching the 2023 AFC Asian Cup final and finishing as runners-up in the 2025 Arab Cup. However, Austria’s greater experience ultimately proved decisive.

Romano Schmid opened the scoring for Austria in the 21st minute before Ali Olwan equalized shortly after the break, becoming the first player in Jordanian history to score a goal at a FIFA World Cup.

Austria regained control in the closing stages when defender Yazan Al-Arab accidentally turned the ball into his own net. Substitute Marko Arnautović then sealed victory from the penalty spot deep into stoppage time.

Mbappé Becomes France’s All-Time Leading Scorer

In Group I, Kylian Mbappé inspired France to a deserved 3-1 victory over Senegal at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Mbappé scored twice in the 66th minute and deep into stoppage time, while substitute Bradley Barcola added France’s third goal. Senegal’s consolation came through substitute Ibrahim Mbaye in added time.

The match also marked another historic milestone for Mbappé, who raised his international tally to 58 goals, surpassing Olivier Giroud to become France’s all-time leading goal scorer.

The victory further reinforced France’s status as one of the leading contenders for the World Cup title, thanks to their wealth of talent and experience across the squad.

Haaland Leads Norway’s Dominant Victory Over Iraq

In the final Group I fixture, Iraq’s return to the World Cup after a 40-year absence began with a 4-1 defeat to Norway.

The Norwegians controlled the contest from the outset, led by prolific striker Erling Haaland, who continued his remarkable international form by scoring twice and taking his tally to 57 goals in just 51 appearances for his country.

Haaland struck in the 29th and 43rd minutes, while Aymen Hussein briefly brought Iraq level in the 39th minute after capitalizing on one of the few opportunities created by his side.

Norway extended their lead in the second half through substitute Leo Østigård before an unfortunate own goal by Aymen Hussein in stoppage time completed the scoring and sealed a convincing victory.

As a result, Norway moved to the top of Group I on goal difference ahead of France, sending a strong message to their rivals in their first World Cup appearance since the 1998 tournament in France.

Iraq now face a daunting challenge against France in their next match, while Norway will take on Senegal in two fixtures that could play a decisive role in determining the battle for qualification to the knockout stages.