Quintessential Lionel Messi Reminded The World Of His Extraterrestrial Qualities

Back in the heyday of their greatest moments, at the top of their game, South Americans birthed a saying in Spanish when talking about Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. But, for the sake of brevity, I will translate it. 

Ronaldo may be the best player in the world, but Messi? He's from another planet. 

On Tuesday evening, therefore, under the Kansas City sky — a city famously coined as the capital of American fútbol — Lionel Messi, in a record-breaking sixth World Cup, reminded America and the world of his extraterrestrial qualities, scoring his first hat trick of his World Cup career during Argentina's 3-0 win over Algeria. 

The three goals placed him at joint top of the list for most men's World Cup goals (16) alongside Germany's Miroslav Klose. A record he will surely break when La Albicelesteface Austria next Monday in Dallas. 

What's more, Messi — at 38 years and 357 days old — became the oldest men's player to score a hat trick at a World Cup, passing Ronaldo by five years. He now also holds the record for the youngest and oldest Argentina goalscorer (18 years old in 2006 and 38 now) and has scored in five consecutive World Cup matches. If he scores again, he will have a new record. 

Want another one? For Argentina, he is the first man from the national team to score in five straight World Cups, surpassing Hernán Crespo and Guillermo Stábile. It was his 11th overall treble for his national team.

The hat trick itself was quintessential Messi. 

The opener came in the 17th minute, and it was a golden, left-footed rocket that was too much for Luca Zidane — the second son of Zinedine, who was there and could only marvel at what Leo had just done to his second-born. 

The second, in the 60th minute, was just an