Norwegian forward Erling Haaland responds to Lionel Messi’s performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup by calling him a “madman.” According to reports, the remarks come after Messi scores a hat-trick in Argentina’s opening match of the tournament against Algeria. Argentina starts their campaign as reigning champions with a 3-0 win in the game. The coverage says Haaland made the comment in a social media post while Argentina was playing Algeria, referencing Messi’s achievement and impact. One outlet also notes that Messi’s goals match a World Cup scoring record of 16 goals. The two reports present the same core points: Haaland publicly praises Messi’s level of play using the “madman” description, and Messi delivers a hat-trick in Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Algeria in the tournament opener. No additional details on match officials, scorers beyond the hat-trick, or wider tournament context are included in the provided accounts.