Argentina kicked off their World Cup defense doing what they do best: letting Lionel Messi remind everyone why he’s, well, him. The reigning champs secured a tidy 3-0 victory over Algeria, largely thanks to Messi delivering his first-ever World Cup hat-trick.
Yes, his first. Let that sink in. The man who has basically rewritten the footballing bible just added another jaw-dropping chapter. This triple threat also launched him into the rarefied air of joint-highest scorer in World Cup history, now sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with German legend Miroslav Klose at 16 goals.
Messi, making a record sixth World Cup appearance (because apparently that's where we are now), had an early goal chalked off for offside. But he clearly decided that was just a warm-up. He then unleashed a rocket from outside the box that Algeria's goalkeeper, Luca Zidane (yes, that Zidane's son), simply couldn't get to.
We're a new kind of news feed.
Regular news is designed to drain you. We're a non-profit built to restore you. Every story we publish is scored for impact, progress, and hope.
Start Your News DetoxThe second goal was a classic Messi tap-in, pouncing on a rebound from an Alexis Mac Allister shot. And the third? Another low, precise strike from outside the box, perfectly sealing his hat-trick and his place in the record books.
He was subbed off three minutes later to a well-deserved standing ovation. Argentina now has its sights set on becoming only the third team ever to defend a World Cup title. Meanwhile, Algeria, the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations winners, also had an early offside call go against them, perhaps setting the tone for a less-than-ideal start.
Messi's masterful performance squashed any chance of an opening-game upset, a ghost that might have haunted Argentina after their shock loss to Saudi Arabia in the 2022 opener. This time, no drama, just pure Messi magic.
Adding another layer to the legend, this match marked Messi's 200th international appearance. Only Cristiano Ronaldo and Kuwait's Bader Al-Mutawa have more, with Ronaldo set to extend his lead to 229 games soon. Because if there's one thing these two can't stop doing, it's making history.
Messi's heroics somewhat overshadowed other strong starts, like Kylian Mbappe's brace for France and Erling Haaland's two goals for Norway. But let's be honest, when Messi bags a hat-trick and a record, everyone else is just playing for second billing. Argentina next faces Austria on Monday. Good luck, Austria.
