Three of the most decorated players in world football delivered on the grandest stage Tuesday, as Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland each scored multiple goals in their 2026 World Cup group-stage debuts. Most remarkably, Messi - at 38, still competing at a World Cup - claimed the first hat trick of his illustrious international career, a milestone that had somehow eluded him through four previous tournaments.

The performances sent shockwaves through the tournament's early landscape, shifting the competitive picture considerably. France, already the most fancied side heading into the competition, saw their title odds tighten from +425 to +380 on the back of Mbappé's display, consolidating their status as frontrunners. Argentina, the reigning world champions, moved from 10-1 to +850 as Messi reminded everyone that his partnership with this squad remains formidable. Norway, buoyed by Haaland's ruthless efficiency, edged from 35-1 to 30-1 - a modest but meaningful shift for a nation yet to win a World Cup. It is worth noting that for sports bettors who track a wide range of markets, from football to niche disciplines covered by a bookmaker floorball platform, Tuesday's events served as a sharp reminder of how quickly odds can move when elite players perform at their peak.

Messi's hat trick deserves particular attention. Across his career - spanning four World Cups before this one - he had scored goals, won a Golden Boot in 2014, and finally lifted the trophy in Qatar in 2022, but a hat trick at a World Cup had always remained just out of reach. That he has produced one now, at an age when most players have long since retired from international football, speaks both to his extraordinary physical conditioning and to the attacking system Argentina have built around him. The defending champions arrive in 2026 not merely as nostalgic favorites, but as a team that has shown genuine menace in the opening round.

Mbappé and Haaland Underline the Golden Boot Race

With the Golden Boot market already compressed around a small group of elite strikers, Tuesday's results sharpened the competition at the top. Mbappé, listed as the favourite at +225 on DraftKings Sportsbook, scored twice for France in what was a composed and clinical opening performance. At 25, this is arguably the tournament in which he is expected to fully assert himself as the world's best - the pressure is substantial, but the returns so far are encouraging. Haaland, priced at +600, also struck more than once for Norway, continuing a run of form that has made him one of the most feared finishers in global football over the past two years. Messi at +300 now enters the equation even more prominently following his hat trick, though sustaining that output across a full group stage and knockout rounds remains the challenge at his age.

England and Portugal Step Into the Spotlight Wednesday

Attention shifts on Wednesday to two more heavyweights beginning their campaigns. Portugal, priced as substantial -380 favourites in the three-way market, face Congo DR in what the odds suggest should be a comfortable opener for Roberto Martínez's side. Congo DR, at 12-1 on the three-way line, will need to produce something well beyond expectation to take anything from the match. Portugal arrive with a deep squad, though the central question - as it has been for several years - is how well they perform when tournament pressure intensifies in the knockout rounds.

England's contest with Croatia is considerably more finely balanced. Gareth Southgate's successor leads the Three Lions into a rematch of the 2018 World Cup semi-final, a fixture that still stings for English supporters. England are listed at -145 favourites, with Croatia at +425 and the draw available at +275 - lines that reflect genuine uncertainty rather than a foregone conclusion. Croatia, despite the gradual ageing of their golden generation, remain organised and difficult to break down. For Harry Kane, priced at +800 in the Golden Boot market, this represents an immediate opportunity to respond to Tuesday's headlines. Kane's record for club and country is exceptional; a World Cup where he finally fires in the group stage would go some way toward silencing those who question his ability to perform at the deepest end of major tournaments.

A Tournament Already Delivering on Its Promise

It is still early, but the 2026 World Cup has opened with the kind of star-driven drama that major tournaments occasionally promise and rarely deliver so immediately. Messi's hat trick, Mbappé's clinical double, and Haaland's continued ruthlessness have set a tone. The question now is whether the matches ahead can sustain that standard - and whether Kane and Portugal's Bruno Fernandes can add their names to a Golden Boot conversation that has rarely felt this wide open.