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Lionel Messi just did something he’d never done in five previous World Cup appearances: score a hat trick. Argentina’s 3-0 demolition of Nigeria in the group stage wasn’t just a statement game for the defending champions. It was the kind of performance that moves markets, specifically the niche but growing world of fan tokens tied to national soccer teams.
The $ARG fan token, linked to the Argentine national team, has seen a notable spike in trading volume following Messi’s three-goal masterpiece.
Messi rewrites history at 39
His hat trick against Nigeria pushed his all-time World Cup goal tally to 17, surpassing Miroslav Klose’s previous record of 16 goals.
This is Messi’s sixth World Cup. He turned 39 on June 24 while stationed with the Argentine squad at their training base in Kansas City. Prior to the 2026 tournament, Messi had recorded 13 goals and eight assists across his five previous World Cup campaigns.
The US finds its moment
As co-hosts of the 2026 tournament, the USMNT has attracted unprecedented crowd support during the group stage, with domestic audiences engaging with the team at levels rarely seen in American soccer history.
Fan tokens catch the World Cup fever
The $ARG token has been the primary beneficiary, with trading volumes climbing as Messi’s performances generate global headlines. No major new token launches have materialized around the tournament so far, which suggests the current activity is concentrated in existing assets rather than opportunistic new projects.
The 2022 World Cup showed a similar pattern, with tokens seeing elevated activity during the tournament before settling back down in the weeks that followed.
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