A Messi hat-trick against Algeria gave Argentina a 3-0 win on Tuesday, opening the defending champions’ World Cup title defense in Kansas City. The match marked Lionel Messi’s sixth World Cup appearance, a record for the tournament.
Messi, 38, looked to have given Argentina an early lead in the eighth minute, only for his close-range finish to be ruled out for offside.
Messi Hat-Trick Against Algeria Settles the Contest
The breakthrough came soon after, as Messi capped a driving run with a left-footed shot from the edge of the box that proved too powerful for Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane — son of World Cup winner Zinedine Zidane — to keep out. He doubled Argentina’s lead on the hour mark, turning in a rebound after Zidane saved a shot from Alexis Mac Allister, then completed his treble in the 76th minute with a low finish from outside the box.
The third goal brought Messi level with former Germany striker Miroslav Klose on 16 World Cup goals, the most by any player in the competition’s history. He was substituted three minutes later to a standing ovation, with the change appearing to rest him ahead of Argentina’s bid to become only the third nation to defend a World Cup title.
Records and Milestones for Messi
Beyond the score-line, the Messi hat-trick against Algeria added to a growing list of records for Messi. It was his first hat-trick at a FIFA tournament, and his sixth World Cup appearance is a mark Cristiano Ronaldo will also reach on Wednesday, when Portugal face the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The match also doubled as Messi’s 200th international appearance, in a career that began in 2005 when he was 18. Only Ronaldo, who plays his 229th international on Wednesday, and Kuwait’s Bader Al-Mutawa, with 202 caps, have represented their countries more often.
Messi spent most of his club career at Barcelona in Spain before moving to Paris Saint-Germain in France, and he now plays for Inter Miami in the United States’ Major League Soccer. A minor hamstring injury picked up in an end-of-season match for Miami had affected his preparation for the tournament, though the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner showed no such issues in a warm-up game against Iceland last week, scoring a penalty during his 20 minutes on the pitch.
Algeria’s Night and Other World Cup Results
Algeria, by contrast, struggled to create chances of their own. The 2019 Africa Cup of Nations champions saw an effort from Fares Chaibi ruled out for offside in the ninth minute, and the eventual result avoided a repeat of the opening-game upset that hit Argentina at the 2022 World Cup, when they lost to Saudi Arabia before going on to win the final against France.
Tuesday’s other group matches also produced goals at the top end of the tournament. Kylian Mbappe scored twice in France’s 3-1 win over Senegal to reach 14 World Cup goals, level for fourth on the all-time list, while Erling Haaland scored twice as Norway beat Iraq 4-1. Jordan and Austria were due to play their opening group games later the same day in San Francisco.
Argentina’s victory came during an opening phase of the tournament that has already produced several notable results and records. Earlier in the competition, four World Cup matches ended in draws on the same day, matching a long-standing tournament record. Read more: FIFA World Cup 2026 Record: 68-Year-Old History Repeated as Four Matches End in a Draw on a Single Day⇗
Argentina Turn to Austria Next
The Messi hat-trick against Algeria gave Argentina their opening win of the tournament, and the team’s defense of its World Cup title continues on Monday against Austria.
