Extremely powerful — it's a historic, record-breaking performance at age 38-39. espn.com In the 2026 FIFA World Cup (his sixth tournament), Lionel Messi delivered an extraordinary start:Match 1 (vs Algeria): Hat-trick (3 goals) in a 3-0 win. olympics.com Match 2 (vs Austria): Brace (2 goals) in a 2-0 win, including a curled finish and a late rocket. He even missed an early penalty but still dominated. espn.com Total: 5 goals in 2 matches, propelling Argentina to the knockout stage and making Messi the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history with 18 goals (surpassing Miroslav Klose's 16). espn.com Why this is so impressive ("how powerful"):At nearly 39 years old, he's leading the Golden Boot race and scoring at a rate rarely seen even in his prime. He has now scored in 6 consecutive World Cup matches (equaling a record). instagram.com This comes after his legendary 2022 campaign (7 goals, including the final), showing sustained elite performance across 20+ years.