Lionel Messi turned Argentina’s World Cup opener into a night of records, scoring every goal in a 3-0 win over Algeria at Arrowhead Stadium.
Messi opens Argentina’s title defence
The match began with warning signs at both ends. Messi had a goal ruled out for offside in the fourth minute, before Fares Chaibi also saw an Algeria effort disallowed in the eighth.
The breakthrough still came quickly. In the 17th minute, Rodrigo De Paul found Messi, who drove toward goal and struck precisely from 17 metres to put the defending champions ahead and reach 14 World Cup goals, level with Kylian Mbappé and Gerd Müller.
Messi turns Argentina pressure into history
Algeria had more of the ball, holding 52% possession to Argentina’s 48%, and completed more passes, 547 to 503. But that control rarely became danger: Algeria finished with 7 shots and none on target, while Argentina forced 6 efforts on target from 10 attempts.
Messi punished that difference in the 60th minute. Alexis Mac Allister’s shot was pushed out by Luca Zidane, and Messi reacted from close range for his 15th World Cup goal, drawing level with Brazil’s Ronaldo.
The third arrived in the 76th minute after a combination with Nicolás González. Messi set himself on the edge of the area and finished superbly, completing a hat-trick that took him to 16 World Cup goals, level with Miroslav Klose at the top of the all-time list.
Argentina seize early command
At 38 years and 357 days, Messi became the oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo’s mark from 2018. The night also marked his 200th Argentina appearance and made him the first player to appear at six different World Cups.
Argentina end matchday 1 top of the standings on 3 points, while Algeria sit fourth with 0 after a game where possession never became penetration.
Match Information
Competition: World Cup, Group Stage - 1. Date & Time: Wednesday 17 June 2026, 03:00 CET. Venue: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City. Referee: Szymon Marciniak, Poland.
