Lionel Messi gave Argentina a dream start to the 2026 World Cup on the night of the match, scoring a hat trick in a 3-0 win over Algeria. The Argentina captain, already the reigning world champion from Qatar 2022, moved to 16 World Cup goals, tying Germany’s Miroslav Klose for the all-time tournament scoring record. One more goal would make Messi the leading scorer in World Cup history.
Messi opened the scoring in the first half after finishing calmly from a precise pass by Rodrigo De Paul. He added a second after the break to push Algeria further out of reach, then completed the hat trick with a trademark goal that drew applause from the entire stadium.
The performance also set another milestone: by stepping onto the pitch, Messi became the first player ever to appear in six different World Cup tournaments. He also extended his record for World Cup appearances, adding another landmark to his Argentina career.
For Argentina, the result was an ideal start to defending the title. Unlike the stumbling beginning at the previous World Cup, when they were shocked by Saudi Arabia, this time they looked confident, connected and in control while taking their first three points. Attention now turns to Argentina’s next group-stage match, where Messi will try to score again and stand alone at the top of the World Cup scoring chart.
