KANSAS CITY: Argentina captain Lionel Messi produced a stunning hat-trick to lead his side to a comfortable 3-0 victory over Algeria in their opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2026, equalling the tournament’s all-time goalscoring record in the process.
The 38-year-old superstar scored all three goals as the defending champions began their campaign in dominant fashion. His third goal of the night, scored in the 76th minute, took his World Cup tally to 16 goals, matching the long-standing record held by German legend Miroslav Klose.
The achievement came exactly 20 years after Messi made his World Cup debut for Argentina against Serbia and Montenegro, a match in which he also found the scoresheet. Two decades later, the Argentine icon once again delivered on football’s biggest stage.
Messi’s performance marked the first World Cup hat-trick of his illustrious career. He nearly added more goals to his tally, with one effort ruled out for offside and another narrowly missing the target in the second half.
Argentina controlled much of the contest after surviving an early scare. Algeria thought they had taken the lead through Fares Chaibi, but a VAR review ruled the goal out for offside. Moments later, Messi opened the scoring and never looked back.
The victory gives Argentina a strong start in Group J as they seek to defend the World Cup title they won in Qatar four years ago. Their successful campaign in 2022 famously began with a shock defeat before they recovered to lift the trophy.
Argentina will next face Austria before concluding the group stage against Jordan. Algeria, meanwhile, will look to bounce back when they take on Jordan before meeting Austria in their final group match.