By Paul Joseph
Lionel Messi moved within one goal of becoming the outright highest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history after scoring a brilliant hat-trick to lead Argentina national football team to a convincing 3-0 victory over Algeria national football team in their opening Group J match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The victory marked a dream start to Argentina’s title defence, with the 38-year-old captain netting all three goals in the 17th, 60th and 76th minutes before a crowd of 69,045 at Kansas City Stadium.
Messi’s remarkable treble took his FIFA World Cup tally to 16 goals, drawing him level with German legend Miroslav Klose as the joint-highest goalscorer in the tournament’s history.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner also celebrated his 200th international appearance in style, becoming the first player to feature in six FIFA World Cup tournaments while registering his first-ever World Cup hat-trick.
Argentina broke the deadlock in the 17th minute when Messi collected a pass from Rodrigo De Paul before curling a brilliant left-footed effort beyond Algerian goalkeeper Luca Zidane.
Both teams had earlier seen goals ruled out during an entertaining opening spell, but Argentina gradually took control of the contest.
Messi doubled Argentina’s advantage on the hour mark after capitalising on an error by Zidane, calmly finishing from close range to put the defending champions firmly in command.
The veteran forward completed his historic hat-trick in the 76th minute, firing a powerful strike from the edge of the penalty area after being set up by Nicolás González.
The performance also made Messi the oldest player to score a hat-trick in FIFA World Cup history, adding another milestone to his glittering international career.
Argentina’s convincing victory was especially significant as it marked the nation’s first opening-match win while defending a World Cup title, having begun their previous title defences in 1982 and 1990 with defeats.
The South American champions now top Group J and will face Austria national football team in their next fixture, while Algeria will attempt to bounce back against Jordan national football team.
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