Defending champions Argentina defeated Algeria 3-0 in their Group J opener at Kansas City Stadium on Wednesday. Thirty-eight-year-old Lionel Messi secured a historic hat-trick in his 200th senior international appearance, guaranteeing a dominant start for a squad seeking to become only the third nation in history to successfully defend a World Cup title.
The performance occurred exactly 20 years to the day after Messi’s World Cup debut against Serbia and Montenegro in Germany. With these three strikes, he tied Germany’s Miroslav Klose as the joint-highest scorer in FIFA World Cup history with 16 total tournament goals. He also became the oldest player to ever score a World Cup hat-trick and the first male player to compete in six separate editions of the tournament.
The scoring began in the 17th minute with a 25-yard strike. Messi struck again in the 60th minute, capitalizing on a rebound off a shot fumbled by Algerian goalkeeper Luca Zidane. He completed the hat-trick in the 76th minute with a curling finish from the edge of the penalty area, details verified by the official match highlights.
This commanding performance sharply contrasts with Argentina’s opening defeat in the 2022 tournament, shifting the momentum as other top contenders prepare for the Group of Death matchups later this week. Following the final whistle, Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni told reporters he no longer has “the words to describe Messi” while praising his 20-year legacy of inspiring fans and teammates.