‘Almost inhuman’ — Xavi names Messi the Michael Jordan of football after ‘crazy’ hat-trick vs Algeria at World Cup 2026

There are moments in sport that remind you why you fell in love with the game. Lionel Messi’s hat-trick against Algeria at the 2026 World Cup was one of them. Three goals. A record equalled. And the most damning verdict from the man who knows him best: former Barcelona boss Xavi Hernandez, who called him ‘the Michael Jordan of football’ and described his display as ‘almost inhuman.’ For England fans dreaming of glory this summer, the message from across the Atlantic is clear — Messi is not done yet.

The hat-trick that left the world speechless

At 38 years old, on the grandest stage in football, Lionel Messi delivered a hat-trick that silenced every doubter. Three goals against Algeria was not a performance — it was a statement. Argentina’s captain, already a World Cup winner from Qatar 2022, served notice that the defending champions have no intention of surrendering their crown without a fight.

Each goal carried the hallmark of a player operating at the very peak of his powers. The movement, the composure, the sheer inevitability of it all — Messi looked not like a footballer approaching the twilight of his career, but like one who has simply refused to let the clock catch him.

Xavi’s Jordan verdict and why it matters

Xavi Hernandez spent more than a decade watching Messi up close. They won Champions Leagues together at Barcelona. They shared training ground sessions. When someone with that vantage point speaks, it is worth listening. ‘What he’s doing is crazy. It’s almost inhuman. He is the Michael Jordan of football,’ Xavi declared after watching his former team-mate’s masterclass against Algeria.

The Michael Jordan comparison carries enormous weight. Jordan is the gold standard of sporting greatness — a competitor who redefined what was possible and refused to accept any ceiling on his own achievement. By evoking that name, Xavi was not reaching for a convenient soundbite. He was making the most precise comparison available to him.

A record for the history books

The hat-trick against Algeria saw Messi equal the record for most goals ever scored at the World Cup across an entire career — a number that seemed untouchable until the little genius decided otherwise. He already had his winner’s medal from Qatar. Now he is chasing a form of immortality that no trophy can fully capture.

Records in football are often statistical curiosities. This one feels different. It is the kind of milestone that defines not just a player’s career but an entire era of the sport — and it arrived wrapped in the most complete individual performance this tournament has seen.

What England must prepare for

England have shown genuine quality under Thomas Tuchel in this tournament, and the optimism among Three Lions supporters is well-founded. But if Messi’s Argentina stand between England and the trophy at any stage, it will require a plan unlike any other. Stopping a player described by Xavi as ‘almost inhuman’ is not a normal tactical challenge.

England have the talent and the structure to compete with anyone here. Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane give Tuchel genuine weapons at both ends. But as Xavi’s words remind the entire tournament, Messi at a World Cup is not a football problem with a football solution. He is, in the words of his former team-mate, the Michael Jordan of the sport — and you do not stop Michael Jordan by drawing up a formation on a whiteboard.

FAQ