World Cup 2026: Haaland calls Messi ‘madman’ after hat-trick against Algeria

Norwegian forward Erling Haaland referred to Lionel Messi as a “madman” following the legendary Argentine’s hat-trick in his national team’s opening FIFA World Cup match against Algeria.

Argentina, the reigning champions, commenced their campaign with a 3-0 victory in this inaugural match.

In a Snapchat story posted during Argentina’s match against Algeria, Erling Haaland expressed his admiration for Lionel Messi’s performance.

He shared a snap and commented, “Messi is a madman.”

Haaland’s remarks were made just hours after he made his FIFA World Cup debut for Norway, contributing to a 4-1 victory over Iraq in their opening encounter.

The Manchester City star scored two goals (29′ and 43′), marking an impressive debut on football’s grandest stage.

Meanwhile, Lionel Messi has left the football world in awe with his extraordinary performance for Argentina. La Pulga also made history by equalling Miroslav Klose’s goal tally in the World Cup, thus becoming the all-time leading goalscorer in the tournament’s history.