FIFA World Cup June 16 2026 Roundup: Messi Matches Klose Record, Haaland Stars on Debut, Mbappe Makes History

The stars arrived in style at the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Tuesday.

Lionel Messi produced a record-equalling hat-trick, Erling Haaland marked his World Cup debut with a brace, while Kylian Mbappe scored twice as France opened their campaign with a commanding victory over Senegal.

In a tournament already filled with shocks and surprises, football's biggest names reminded everyone why they remain the faces of the modern game.

Messi Equals Klose's World Cup Record

Defending champions Argentina could not have asked for a better start.

Messi rolled back the years with a sensational hat-trick in a comfortable 3-0 win over Algeria, moving level with German legend Miroslav Klose's all-time World Cup scoring record of 16 goals.

The 38-year-old opened the scoring with a trademark strike from distance before adding two more after the break to complete his first-ever World Cup hat-trick.

Messi had opportunities to break the record outright but was denied on multiple occasions by Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane, the son of France legend Zinedine Zidane.

Argentina were rarely troubled throughout the contest, with Algeria managing just one shot on target all evening.

With group-stage matches against Austria and Jordan still to come, Messi now has a golden opportunity to become the outright leading scorer in World Cup history.

Haaland Announces Himself On World Cup Stage

For years, football fans waited to see Erling Haaland at a major international tournament.

The Norwegian striker did not disappoint.

Haaland scored his first two World Cup goals as Norway cruised to a 4-1 victory over Iraq in Boston, underlining why many believe the Scandinavian side could emerge as one of the tournament's dark horses.

The Manchester City star opened the scoring after 29 minutes before benefiting from a goalkeeping error to double Norway's advantage shortly before halftime.

Iraq briefly threatened to make a contest of it through Aymen Hussein's equaliser, but Norway's superior quality eventually proved decisive.

Leo Ostigard added a third from a Martin Odegaard corner before an own goal deep into stoppage time completed the scoring.

For Haaland, it was the perfect introduction to the biggest stage in world football.

Mbappe Leads France Past Senegal

Not to be outdone by Messi and Haaland, Mbappe delivered a statement performance of his own.

The France captain scored twice as Les Bleus overcame a stubborn Senegal side 3-1 in New Jersey to begin their latest World Cup campaign with maximum points.

Senegal threatened throughout the first half and struck the woodwork through Nicolas Jackson before Ismaila Sarr squandered another promising opportunity.

France eventually found their breakthrough in the 66th minute when Mbappe opened the scoring.

Substitute Bradley Barcola doubled the advantage before a dramatic stoppage-time finale saw Ibrahim Mbaye pull one back for Senegal.

Any hopes of a comeback were quickly extinguished as Mbappe unleashed a stunning long-range strike just a minute later to seal the result.

The brace also saw the French superstar move past Olivier Giroud to become France's all-time leading goalscorer with 58 international goals.

The Race For History Is On

Tuesday's action offered a fascinating glimpse into what could become one of the defining storylines of the tournament.

Messi now sits level with Klose on 16 World Cup goals.

Mbappe, meanwhile, continues his relentless pursuit of football history and remains one of the few active players capable of challenging that mark.

Haaland is only beginning his World Cup journey but has already opened his account with a double.

While teams battle for qualification and the trophy itself, the race between football's biggest superstars is quickly becoming one of the tournament's most compelling subplots.

And if Tuesday's action was anything to go by, there is plenty more to come.