Messi hat-trick fires holders Argentina to win over Algeria at World Cup
Key takeaways
- Argentina open defence of their World Cup crown with a Lionel Messi-inspired 3-0 win against Algeria at 2026 edition.
- The former 38-year-old forward thought he had opened the scoring in the eighth minute in Kansas City on Tuesday when he slotted home from close range, but the offside flag was raised.
- The dream start to his record-setting appearance, which will be matched by Cristiano Ronaldo for Portugal against the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Wednesday, was not to be denied for long, though.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Argentina open defence of their World Cup crown with a Lionel Messi-inspired 3-0 win against Algeria at 2026 edition.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates scoring their first goal [Claudia Greco/Reuters]By Kevin Hand Published On 17 Jun 202617 Jun 2026Lionel Messi marked his record sixth World Cup appearance with his first hat-trick at a FIFA tournament – also becoming the joint-highest scorer at a World Cup – as Argentina beat Algeria 3-0 to open the defence of their global crown.
The former 38-year-old forward thought he had opened the scoring in the eighth minute in Kansas City on Tuesday when he slotted home from close range, but the offside flag was raised.