Lionel Messi's heartwarming fan interaction and historic hat-trick at World Cup 2026

Lionel Messi with the young fan. (Video grab)

Lionel Messi has already set the FIFA World Cup 2026 alight with a historic hat-trick against Algeria, but it is a heartwarming off-field moment involving a young fan that has now captured the imagination of football lovers around the world. A viral video circulating on social media shows the Argentina captain interacting with supporters, and posing for pictures. But what stood out was an adorable exchange with a young fan, who enthusiastically demonstrated a dance move and appeared to teach Messi a new goal celebration. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner watched intently with a smile, sparking widespread speculation among fans over whether he might unveil the move after his next goal.

Historic hat-trick puts Messi on the brink of another record

Messi began Argentina's title defence in sensational fashion, scoring all three goals in a 3-0 victory over Algeria in Kansas City. It was the first World Cup hat-trick of his glittering career, making the 38-year-old the oldest player to achieve the feat in the tournament's history. The emotional opener saw Messi wipe tears away with his jersey before celebrating with his teammates. "My tears after the first goal? I've had some tough days. It wasn't related to football. I thank my teammates, the coaching staff and the delegation for helping me," Messi said after the match. His three-goal haul also took him to 16 World Cup goals, equalling German legend Miroslav Klose's all-time record. One more strike will make the Argentine superstar the outright leading scorer in World Cup history.

WATCH: A young fan teaches new goal celebration to Messi

'At a loss for words' – Scaloni hails his captain

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni was left in awe of his talisman. "At a loss for words about Leo. What can I say? He's incredible," Scaloni said. Messi's hat-trick came exactly 20 years after his World Cup debut and marked the 61st hat-trick of his career. "It makes me very happy to have lived through everything that came my way. What I'm living through now is the cherry on top," Messi said. As Argentina prepare for their next challenge, fans now have another question to ponder: if Messi scores his record-breaking 17th World Cup goal, will the legendary No. 10 celebrate with the dance move taught to him by his youngest coach?

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