World Cup superstars on full display as Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland shine in Monday's slate

The 2026 FIFA World Cup has been thing abbreviated of miraculous frankincense far, particularly erstwhile you look astatine what the superstars of the tourney person been doing connected the pitch.

Monday’s slate of games, which featured 3 of the game’s premier extremity scorers, was possibly the highest of the tourney frankincense far.

The communicative of the time had to beryllium Argentina’s Lionel Messi, who acceptable the all-time World Cup goals record, surpassing Germany’s Miroslav Klose for the pb arsenic his illustrious vocation accolades continue.

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Argentina's Lionel Messi reacts aft scoring his 3rd extremity during the World Cup Group J lucifer against Algeria successful Kansas City, Mo., connected June 16, 2026. (Ed Zurga/AP Photo)

Messi not lone notched his 17th World Cup extremity successful the archetypal fractional of Argentina’s triumph implicit Austria, but helium added an 18th extremity precocious successful the 2nd fractional to enactment a cherry connected apical of yet different fantastic performance.

Through conscionable 2 matches successful the World Cup, Messi already has 5 goals to his name, scoring a chapeau instrumentality successful Argentina’s archetypal tourney triumph against Algeria. And he’s doing this astatine 38 years old, showcasing the aforesaid accomplishment helium had successful his premier for state and club, portion furthering his lawsuit arsenic the champion shot subordinate to ever deterioration a brace of boots.

But Messi wasn’t the lone superstar to amusement retired connected Monday. In fact, helium wasn’t adjacent the lone 1 to people 2 goals successful a victory.

LIONEL MESSI'S GREATNESS SHINES WITH WORLD CUP HAT TRICK AGAINST ALGERIA

France's Kylian Mbappe and Norway’s Erling Haaland, 2 of the game’s champion strikers, took vantage successful their matches against Iraq and Senegal, respectively.

Early successful the archetypal fractional successful Philadelphia, Mbappe recovered the shot conscionable extracurricular Iraq’s 18-yard container erstwhile helium drilled a left-foot onslaught toward goal, and it was excessively overmuch foodstuff for the keeper arsenic it recovered the backmost of the net. France was each implicit Iraq, arsenic expected, and they made definite to property with their 27-year-old superstar starring the way.

After a lengthy upwind delay, play yet resumed connected the pitch, wherever Iraq made a costly mistake connected a extremity footwear that the keeper was not prepared to handle, and Ousmane Dembele served an casual walk to Mbappe to acceptable up his 2nd extremity of the evening.

Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring France's archetypal extremity during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group I lucifer against Iraq astatine Philadelphia Stadium successful Philadelphia, Pa., connected June 22, 2026. (Shaun Botterill/FIFA)

While Messi broke the grounds for all-time World Cup goals, Mbappe is not excessively acold down him, arsenic those were his 15th and 16th of his career. Mbappe is lone 27 but is playing successful his 3rd World Cup for a France squad looking for revenge aft falling to Argentina successful the 2022 World Cup Final.

Finally, not excessively acold from Philadelphia, Haaland and Norway were playing successful East Rutherford, New Jersey, successful a pivotal Group I lucifer against Senegal. France is besides successful Group I and had the pb with 2 wins to commencement their tournament.

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Thus, Haaland would beryllium counted connected for his extremity scoring ways, and helium didn’t disappoint. Haaland scored successful the 48th and 58th minutes of the lucifer connected the mode to a 3-2 triumph implicit Senegal to necktie France astatine the apical of Group I starring into a decisive last radical signifier lucifer aboriginal this week.

Haaland whitethorn adjacent person had 3 goals if not for a missed accidental erstwhile Senegal’s goalkeeper fumbled the shot and a wide unfastened nett was successful beforehand of him astatine the extremity of the archetypal half. But Haaland enactment it disconnected the close post, leaving the 6-foot-5 Norwegian successful disbelief.

However, Haaland made up for it rapidly successful the 2nd half, and the assemblage successful New Jersey went ballistic for the Manchester City product.

Erling Haaland of Norway celebrates with teammates aft scoring the 3rd extremity during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group I lucifer against Senegal astatine New York New Jersey Stadium successful East Rutherford, N.J., connected June 22, 2026. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

With players similar Spain’s Lamine Yamal making past with his first-ever World Cup extremity connected Sunday, and Team USA making connection wins successful their archetypal 2 matches successful Group D, this tourney has had it each from apical to bottom.

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The champion portion is this is lone the radical stages. The knockout rounds are to travel adjacent week, wherever players similar Messi, Mbappe and Haaland volition person much astatine stake.

But there's nary uncertainty this tourney has been tremendous to ticker for each instrumentality crossed the globe, and Monday's "Big Three" made it adjacent much special.

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