Messi joins Ronaldo's table: opening goal against Algeria
On a day when Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland shone for France and Norway, a magical moment from Lionel Messi — his official 200th appearance for La Albiceleste and first goal at the 2026 World Cup — will not be lost.
Kansas City — On a night where Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland excelled for their respective teams, Lionel Messi delivered his own magical moment. The diminutive but legendary Argentine player, who officially made his 200th appearance for La Albiceleste in what was reported to be his sixth World Cup, opened the scoring in the match against Algeria.
An opening goal by Messi in the 5th minute was first disallowed for offside, and a few minutes later an offside against Algeria was also ruled out. But Messi could not be stopped. He picked up the ball with space and landed a trademark long-range shot that raced into the net, past Luca Zidane for 1-0 just before the first hydration break.
<figure style="margin:2rem 0;overflow:hidden;border:1px solid #e2e2e2;background:#f9f9f9"><img src="https://s.yimg.com/lo/mysterio/api/dd52115afa5bc92ca0de0642cf29eba58cdb33bf502100137ff2279e11aa2ea9/lightyear_networkapi/resizefill_w1024_h683;quality_80;format_webp/https:%2F%2Fmedia.zenfs.com%2Fen%2Fonefootball_articles_802%2Ff0a76db8164985ee53964210c85d2b42" alt="Image" style="width:100%;height:auto;object-fit:contain" loading="lazy" /></figure>That goal made Messi the third-oldest scorer in World Cup history, behind only Cameroon legend Roger Milla and Portugal's Pepe. At the same time, Messi entered a very special record — he now joins Cristiano Ronaldo as the only players to have scored in five different World Cups (2006, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026).
With the news that Ronaldo is scheduled for his first appearance in the tournament tomorrow against DR Congo, it is possible that we will witness one last clash of legends before both finally retire from their international careers.