Lamine Yamal underlined Lionel Messi’s status at the top of football after a ruthless hat-trick for Argentina against Algeria. Messi’s display led a 3-0 win at Kansas City Stadium on Wednesday, launching Argentina’s World Cup defence. Yamal described Messi as the best ever, even while keeping Neymar as a personal idol, and dismissed any suggestion of a real debate.
The Barcelona forward was speaking while assessing his own World Cup start with Spain. Yamal highlighted that Messi’s performance, and similar strong starts from other stars, did not change his personal goals. Instead, Yamal stressed enjoyment and team progress over chasing individual scoring records in this tournament across North America.
Messi’s three goals against Algeria lifted
the Argentina captain to 16 World Cup strikes. That tally draws level with Miroslav Klose as the competition’s joint-leading scorer. Messi reached the figure while aged 38 years and 357 days, which sets a new benchmark as the oldest player to score more than once in a World Cup match, passing Roger Milla’s previous record of 38 years and 34 days.
The forward also continued a long-running rivalry in the record books with Cristiano Ronaldo. By scoring against Algeria, Messi became only the second player to find the net in five different World Cups, matching Ronaldo’s achievement. Yet Lamine Yamal still rejected comparisons, insisting that Messi’s place in football history sits beyond discussion after the latest performance.
"Every match proves he's the best in history. If anyone has doubts, it's because they're looking for them," Yamal told RTVE. "There's nothing more to say. My idol is Neymar, but Messi is the best. " Those comments came shortly after Messi’s hat-trick, which again placed the Argentina captain at the centre of World Cup attention.
Messi’s numbers from the Algeria match also stood out within wider tournament statistics. The hat-trick established a total of 16 World Cup goals from across five editions. That return spans a career beginning at earlier tournaments and now matching Klose’s leading figure. Analysts also noted the age record, which underlined Messi’s continued impact late in an international career.
16 - Lionel Messi logra su hat-trick ante Argelia e iguala a Miroslav Klose como el jugador con ms goles en Copas del Mundo. Inigualable. pic.twitter.com/bJ9PhDwlsG
OptaJavier (@OptaJavier) June 17, 2026
While Messi dominated headlines, Lamine Yamal experienced a quieter start with Spain. The 19-year-old featured for only 19 minutes during Spain’s 0-0 draw against World Cup debutants Cape Verde in their Group H opener on Monday. Spain struggled to create clear chances in the final third, leaving work to do before the next fixture at Atlanta Stadium against Saudi Arabia.
Spain’s recent World Cup record adds more pressure before that match. The national team have now gone four World Cup games without a win, with three draws and one defeat, matching their longest sequence without victory in the tournament. Yamal monitored the situation from the bench for most of the Cape Verde match, aware that expectations remain high.
Across the wider competition, other major forwards have already found scoring form. Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane and Erling Haaland each struck twice for their countries during their opening games in North America. Yamal noted these early returns but stressed that such numbers did not change his aims for the tournament or his approach on the pitch.
"My style of play is different. I want to enjoy myself, to win, I don't want to score 16 goals and get eliminated in the semi-finals. That's not what I'm looking for," Yamal added. The comments suggested that, while Messi’s figures impress Yamal, personal statistics rank behind collective success with Spain.
Lamine Yamal, Lionel Messi legacy and fitness at the World Cup
Attention around Spain now turns to whether Luis de la Fuente will start Lamine Yamal against Saudi Arabia. The Spain coach has not confirmed those plans, and the Barcelona attacker accepted that a gradual introduction may be the best route. Yamal admitted fitness is improving but accepted limits on how long Yamal can play at this stage.
"I'm fine, I'm feeling good, but it's too soon, it's unnecessary; I'm still settling in," Yamal said. "It's not the right time to play a full match yet but I can play for as many minutes as the manager wants. I want to be on the pitch; at the end of the day, even if you know you can't play for 90 minutes, you always want to get out there and help the team. "
These remarks show a balance between personal ambition and caution from Lamine Yamal, while admiration for Lionel Messi remains clear. Spain still search for a first World Cup win in the current cycle, whereas Argentina have already sent a strong signal. Both storylines continue to shape the World Cup narrative, with further focus on each side’s next group match.
