Foxborough, June 17 -- Norway star footballer Erling Haaland was in awe of Lionel Messi, saying that he is a "madman," after the Argentine legend scored a record hat-trick against Algeria in the defending champions' 3-0 win in their campaign opener in the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026.

In a Snapchat story, Haaland uploaded his selfie and wrote in the caption, "Messi is a madman" along with a crown emoji.

Messi, in his 200th appearance for Argentina, scored three different types of goals. Messi's first came from a powerful long-range strike in the 17th minute after a quick free-kick from Argentina's De Paul.

His second was a close-range finish after a rebound fell kindly in the box following an effort from Mac Allister. He completed his h...