Kansas City: There is truly no one like Messi. Defending champions Argentina kicked off their World Cup campaign in unforgettable fashion, c...
Kansas City: There is truly no one like Messi. Defending champions Argentina kicked off their World Cup campaign in unforgettable fashion, cruising to a 3–0 victory over Algeria courtesy of Lionel Messi's brilliant hat-trick.
Playing their opening Group J match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Algeria, the reigning champions treated their fans to an extraordinary performance at the Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.
Playing in his historic 200th international match, Argentina captain Lionel Messi completely dominated the game with a spectacular hat-trick, propelling Argentina to the top of Group J.
From the opening whistle, both teams fought hard to establish dominance. Within the first eight minutes, each side had a goal disallowed for offside following quick VAR reviews.
However, Argentina broke the deadlock in the 17th minute. Receiving a sharp pass from Rodrigo De Paul in midfield, Lionel Messi charged forward. Unleashing a stunning, curling shot from 25 yards out, Messi beat Algerian goalkeeper Luca Zidane as the ball pierced the top corner of the net. Argentina held a comfortable 1–0 lead at halftime.
Argentina stepped up their intensity even further in the second half. Manager Lionel Scaloni introduced youngsters Julián Álvarez and Nicolás González to refresh the attack.
In the 60th minute, following a brilliant team build-up, Messi slotted the ball home from close range to extend Argentina's lead to 2–0.
In the 76th minute, the Argentine legend completed his unforgettable hat-trick. Shifting the ball onto his favored left foot, Messi unleashed a low drive that settled into the bottom corner of the net, leaving Zidane a mere spectator to make it 3–0.
Following his third goal, Messi was substituted to a massive standing ovation from the crowd, making way for youngster Nico Paz. With this appearance, Lionel Messi became the first Argentine player to reach the historic milestone of 200 international caps.
With this hat-trick, Messi took his total World Cup goal tally to 16, equaling Germany's Miroslav Klose's record for the most goals scored in FIFA World Cup history.
Although Algeria launched spirited counter-attacks through Riyad Mahrez and Amine Gouiri, the rock-solid Argentine defense, led by Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martínez, ensured a clean sheet for goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez.
Team Lineups
Argentina (4-3-3)
Goalkeeper: Emiliano Martínez
Defenders: Gonzalo Montiel, Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martínez, Facundo Medina
Midfielders: Rodrigo De Paul, Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernández
Forwards: Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martínez, Thiago Almada
Algeria (4-3-3)
Goalkeeper: Luca Zidane
Defenders: Rafik Belghali, Aïssa Mandi, Ramy Bensebaini, Rayan Aït-Nouri
Midfielders: Hicham Boudaoui, Ibrahim Maza, Nabil Bentaleb
Forwards: Anis Hadj Moussa, Amine Gouiri, Farès Chaïbi
Key Milestones Achieved by Messi
Equaling the World Cup Goal Record (16 Goals): With this hat-trick, Messi tied Miroslav Klose as the joint-highest goalscorer in World Cup history. One more goal in the upcoming games will give him the record outright.
First World Cup Finals Hat-Trick: While he has scored numerous hat-tricks across his career for club and country, this marks his very first hat-trick in a World Cup Finals match.
200th International Cap: Delivering a masterclass in his 200th senior appearance makes the milestone all the more historic.
20th Anniversary of his World Cup Debut: Poetically, exactly 20 years ago (June 16, 2006), a young Messi made his World Cup debut against Serbia and Montenegro as a substitute and scored. Two decades later, on the exact same date (US time), he celebrated with a legendary hat-trick.
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