Messi and De Paul Just Did Something No Non-American MLS Duo Has Done Before

Lionel Messi turned 38 last June. On Tuesday night in Argentina’s World Cup opener against Algeria, he played like he had no idea.

Messi bagged a hat trick in the reigning champions’ 3–0 win — his first career World Cup hat trick — and in the process tied the all-time scoring record for the tournament with 16 goals. But the stat that has fans scrolling back through the record books involves a different kind of history: an assist from Inter Miami teammate Rodrigo de Paul.

According to data from OptaJack, Messi and de Paul are just the fifth pair of MLS teammates to connect for a goal in World Cup history. The previous four all played for the United States men’s national team, which makes the Argentine duo the very first non-American MLS pairing to pull it off.

De Paul, who plays alongside Messi in South Florida for the Herons, threaded a pass to Messi in the 17th minute. The captain then unleashed a strike from outside the box that eluded Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane — yes, that Zidane’s son — giving Argentina the early lead.

Why the Messi-de Paul partnership matters beyond the assist

De Paul has long served as Messi’s on-field bodyguard and off-field confidant. But Tuesday showed he’s also a dangerous playmaker in his own right. The midfielder covered nearly every blade of grass in the middle third, breaking up Algerian attacks and linking play forward. For a defending champion trying to go back-to-back, having a midfielder who can both protect the star man and create for him is a luxury few teams can match.

As for Messi, the hat trick is his first in a World Cup across five tournaments. At 38, he remains the focal point of Argentina’s attack, but his early dominance could actually free up the rest of the squad. With defenders gravitating toward Messi whenever he touches the ball, players like Alexis Mac Allister, Lautaro Martinez, and Julian Alvarez should find more space in the final third as the group stage progresses.

Will Messi keep scoring at this rate? Probably not. But the fact that he can still produce a performance like this — on the sport’s biggest stage, against a motivated Algeria side — suggests Argentina’s path to another title runs through their ageless captain.

And somewhere in the record books, a footnote now reads: first non-American MLS duo to team up for a World Cup goal — a quiet piece of history made by two club teammates wearing the same national-team jersey.