Erling Haaland has described Lionel Messi as a “madman” after his World Cup hat-trick for Argentina. The 38-year-old netted all three goals in the reigning champions’ group-opening triumph over Algeria, with that remarkable feat coming just hours before Haaland’s double for Norway against Iraq.
Messi’s treble has seen him draw level with Germany icon Miroslav Klose as the all-time joint-top scorer at the World Cup on 16, while also marking his first World Cup hat-trick. Kylian Mbappe and Haaland had both found the net twice earlier in the day, but Messi managed to surpass both, with the former offering an unequivocal response via Snapchat.
Alongside a photograph of himself, he simply wrote: “Messi is a madman [crown emoji].” Thomas Muller was also swift to share his assessment as the Germany icon posted to Instagram: “This guy… [goat emoji].”
Folarin Balogun and Kai Havertz were joined by Mbappe and Haaland on two goals for the tournament but Messi now tops the golden boot standings. After his opening goal, Messi was visibly emotional, with the former Barcelona star revealing after the match why he was in tears.
He said: “I cried after the first goal, yes… but it was something completely unrelated to football. I went through some difficult days, but I’m grateful to the entire delegation and my teammates because they were always by my side, giving me a lot of strength”.
Reflecting on his fitness and Argentina’s prospects, he continued: “This is my 6th World Cup, and I still feel like I’m in good shape. Fortunately, I’m doing well, and today we managed to win a tough match.
“It’s important to start the tournament with a victory in the first game, as that’s never easy in a World Cup. I am so pleased that I lived through everything I went through in my career. What I’m living now is like an extra gift.”
Argentina have virtually guaranteed their progression to the knockout rounds following such a commanding victory, and finishing top of Group J would pit them against the runners-up from Group C. Morocco appear their likeliest opponents despite drawing with Brazil, a result which allowed Scotland to climb into first place after defeating Haiti.
Steve Clarke’s side remain at risk of elimination in the group phase as they head into their next two fixtures as outsiders. The Tartan Armu have a huge task to secure qualification to the World Cup knockout stages following their historic win over Haiti with Morocco and Brazil awaiting in their final two group matches.
England, meanwhile, are yet to begin their campaign but will get underway in just over 12 hours when they take on Croatia before facing Ghana and Panama. Up until Tuesday, some of the worlds’ elite looked average but France and Argentina have now turned on the style in a stark warning for Thomas Tuchel’s side.