Lionel Messi opened the World Cup with a hat trick in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria, matching Miroslav Klose as the tournament’s all-time leading scorer. The performance, on June 20, 2026, immediately revived questions about whether Messi can still deliver at his age, and the answer from this match was an emphatic yes.
But the numbers behind the display were even more striking than the goals. According to CIES, Messi has been the player who runs and defends the least in the world since moving to MLS. In this match he produced 1.05 expected goals, yet scored three times, touching the ball 57 times across 80 minutes on the field.
His total output was minimal by elite standards. Messi covered just 6.8 kilometers, only 2 kilometers more than goalkeeper Emi Martinez, while Lautaro Martinez ran almost 1 kilometer less before being substituted in the 55th minute. By comparison, Alexis Mac Allister and Enzo Fernandez each logged more than 200 meters of sprinting.
Messi’s sprint data was equally modest. He covered only 62 meters at speeds of 25 km/h or higher, in six total bursts. Of his distance, 6,200 meters came by walking and about 350 meters by running, making his hat trick look even more extraordinary given the low physical load.
