Twenty-four hours. Two men. One tournament that just became infinitely more compelling. On Tuesday night in Kansas City, Lionel Messi scored the first World Cup hat-trick of his career against Algeria, drawing level with Miroslav Klose as the tournament's all-time leading scorer on 16 goals. Just hours earlier that same evening, Kylian Mbappe struck twice against Senegal to become France's leading scorer in World Cup history and break into the competition's top-five goalscorers list.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup has barely begun, yet its two biggest stars are already trading blows in the record books. And if the draw unfolds as many expect, this rivalry could acquire a third and final chapter in July.
The story did not start with records. It started in Kazan in 2018. A 19-year-old Mbappe announced himself to the football world by tearing Argentina apart in a breathtaking Round of 16 performance. He scored twice as France won 4-3, exposing a helpless Argentine defence and sending Messi home yet again without the trophy he craved most.
The rivalry finally had its defining chapter in the World Cup final in Lusail 2022. Mbappe scored a stunning hat-trick and almost single-handedly dragged France back from the brink twice. Yet even that was not enough. Messi lifted the trophy. Argentina got their revenge.
Now, the paths have converged again. Messi's performance against Algeria felt symbolic. At 37, and playing what is almost certainly his final World Cup, he arrived carrying a minor hamstring concern. Yet he still produced a hat-trick in his 200th appearance for Argentina.
Mbappe, meanwhile, is 27 and playing with the urgency of a man chasing unfinished business. He won the World Cup at 19 and came within touching distance of retaining it at 23. Now, he is hunting it again.
Argentina and France have been placed on opposite sides of the bracket, meaning they can only meet in the final. If both navigate their way through the competition, football gets its trilogy. Kazan in 2018. Lusail in 2022. And perhaps MetLife Stadium in New Jersey in 2026.
Optja's supercomputer rates Argentina, France and Spain among the leading contenders for the title. If those predictions hold true, football may yet receive the ending it secretly wants. And if it does, the final chapter of Messi versus Mbappe will be written one goal at a time.
