KANSAS CITY, JUNE 17: Lionel Messi savoured a "beautiful moment" after becoming the World Cup's joint all-time leading goalscorer on Tuesday but said "ultimately, it is just a statistic, nothing more".
The 38-year-old Argentina captain etched another memorable chapter in his glittering career with a brilliant hat-trick in the South Americans' 3-0 win over Algeria in Kansas City.
Messi's hat-trick -- his first ever at a World Cup -- vaulted him alongside Germany's Miroslav Klose as the top scorer in the tournament's history with 16 goals.
Next on the list is Brazilian great Ronaldo, with 15 goals, one ahead of Gerd Muller and current France star Kylian Mbappe.
"To enjoy this with my family, with my teammates, the ones who are always there, is a really beautiful moment," Inter Miami star Messi said. "I'm happy." He added: "It's an honour to be there, given what it means to stand alongside Klose or the others.
"Ronaldo is there too but I don't think it means anything -- Mbappe as well, who scored two today (in a 3-1 win against Senegal).
"In the end, it's just a statistic and nothing more."
Messi's razor-sharp eye for goal augurs well for Argentina's hopes of becoming the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back World Cup titles.
"The squad, it's a very united, very strong group," he said. "I feel good. We were lucky enough to win a tough match. It's important to start off with a win in the first game. "I'm grateful to the fans, because once again they've shown that Argentina is crazy about this -- we packed the stadium again."
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said he no longer had "the words to describe Messi."
"For 20 years, he's had us used to seeing things like this, and he inspires everyone who watches him play," he said of Messi's masterclass.
Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister said Messi was still the heartbeat of the team despite his veteran status.
"If anyone thought this group was better off without Leo, today it became clear that Leo is the most important of them all," he said.
Rodrigo De Paul, who supplied the pass for the first goal on Tuesday, described the former Barcelona star as "a beast". "AFP
