By Mark Ogden | ESPN | June 17, 2026
It was the day the FIFA World Cup superstars came out to play — and score — but the biggest star of them all is Lionel Messi, and he reminded the world that he is still the GOAT with a stunning hat trick against Algeria.
Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland had arrived at the tournament earlier Tuesday, and they announced their presence with the sound of the ball crashing against the back of the net with two goals apiece for France and Norway, respectively, in their games against Senegal and Iraq.
For a moment, it seemed as though the game’s two hottest young players had hammered out a message that this was going to be their World Cup and that the old guard of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo could have ringside seats to watch them dominate the race for the Golden Boot …READ MORE HERE
