Exciting World Cup Day: Three Stars Will Take the Field

Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland are all scheduled to play on the same day at the 2026 World Cup, in what some media outlets have dubbed “Galactic Monday”.

Messi heads into Argentina’s meeting with Austria in Dallas after a hat-trick against Algeria. He is level with Miroslav Klose on 16 World Cup goals and could move clear at the top of the all-time scoring list.

Mbappé will lead France against Iraq after scoring twice in their opening game. France are also looking to secure progression to the last 16 before their final group match against Norway.

Haaland completes the trio for Norway’s clash with Senegal. The forward, who has been long awaited on the tournament stage, will be under close scrutiny as he looks to make his mark in the same window as Messi and Mbappé.

The three fixtures add extra weight to a busy day at the tournament, with three generations of elite forwards all in action at once.