Lionel Messi has once again rewritten football history in a single match. At almost 39 years of age, the Argentine captain put in a memorable performance against Algeria at the World Cup, smashing a total of eight historic records in just 90 minutes.

It was a display typical of the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, proving that his impact on the beautiful game remains undiminished and that, like fine wine, he only gets better with age. A true legend.

With a masterful hat-trick, the Rosario-born star not only led the ‘Albiceleste’ in his 200th international match, but also reached the top of the World Cup all-time goalscoring charts and shattered longevity records that had seemed unattainable.

Below, we’ll take a detailed look at the eight historic records that Messi broke on his perfect night against Algeria, in a Kansas City stadium packed with Argentine fans who witnessed a magical performance from their captain.

The first player to feature in six World Cups

At the age of 38, Messi officially became the first player in the history of football to play in six World Cups.

The Argentine captain broke the tie he shared with legends such as Antonio Carbajal, Lothar Matthäus, Andrés Guardado, Guillermo Ochoa and Cristiano Ronaldo, although the Portuguese player could catch up with him in this tournament

The oldest hat-trick in World Cup history

At 38 years and 357 days, the Rosario-born star smashed the record for the oldest footballer to score three goals in a single World Cup match.

With this feat, he surpassed the previous record held by Cristiano Ronaldo, who had achieved it at the age of 33 years and 130 days during Portugal’s memorable match against Spain at Russia 2018.

He drew level with Miroslav Klose as the World Cup’s all-time top scorer

The hat-trick against Algeria saw Messi reach the impressive total of 16 World Cup goals.

With this tally, the Argentine forward is now level with the legendary German striker Miroslav Klose at the top of the all-time scoring charts for the FIFA tournament.

Top scorer from outside the box

With his first and third goals of the night, Messi overtook Brazil’s Roberto Rivelino as the player who has scored the most goals from outside the box in the history of the World Cup.

The precision of his left foot was once again the decisive factor in breaking one of the tournament’s longest-standing long-range scoring records.

Goals in five different tournaments

With this performance against Algeria, Messi once again equalled a historic record that he shares at the top with Cristiano Ronaldo.

Now, both strikers are the only players in the official records to have scored at least one goal in five different World Cups.

The only player to have scored against 11 different opponents

Following his goal in this match, the captain of the Argentina national team became the only footballer in history to have scored against 11 different national teams in the tournament.

The list of countries includes Serbia, Mexico, Nigeria, Bosnia, Iran, Croatia, Australia, the Netherlands, France, Saudi Arabia and, now, Algeria.

200 official matches and 120 goals for the Albiceleste

At international level, the match served to mark a historic milestone in his country’s colours. The Rosario-born player made his 200th appearance for the Argentina national team.

Furthermore, his hat-trick saw him take his personal goal tally to 120 official goals for the national side, cementing a national record that is unlikely to be broken in the coming decades.

The youngest and oldest Argentine goalscorer in World Cup history

Finally, Messi brought a perfect historical full circle for his country’s football. The captain of the ‘Albiceleste’ now holds, simultaneously, the records as Argentina’s oldest goalscorer (38 years and 357 days) and youngest goalscorer (18 years and 357 days) in World Cup history.

His first World Cup goal came exactly two decades ago, at Germany 2006 against Serbia and Montenegro. This fact highlights the enduring nature of a career that has dominated the international stage from start to finish.

Will there be room for more records from Lionel Messi at this World Cup?

With him, anything is possible...