Messi scores a hat trick as Argentina opens the World Cup with a 3-0 win over Algeria

Lionel Messi produced a hat trick on Wednesday morning, leading Argentina to a 3-0 victory over Algeria in their World Cup opener. The performance came one week before Messi’s 39th birthday and added another major milestone to the career of the player widely regarded as the greatest of all time.

After the match, Messi said he simply loves the game. “I love playing football,” he said. “It has been my passion since I was a child. And when I am in good shape, I give everything on the pitch. This is my sixth World Cup, and I feel I am in good form. Fortunately, I am doing well, and today we managed to win a difficult game.”

Messi also thanked the fans, saying they showed how special Argentina is. He said the stadium was full, with “I think 80,000 people here,” and praised supporters for always turning out, “whether we are in Qatar or now in the United States.” He added that he hoped they enjoyed the moment as much as the team did.

Messi explained that he cried after his first goal for reasons unrelated to football. “I went through some difficult days,” he said, thanking the national team delegation and his teammates for helping him through it. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said it was “a very difficult game” and credited the win to Messi’s brilliance and the team’s ability to endure pressure. Scaloni added, quoting Pablo Aimar, that Messi will remain the best “as long as he wants to be,” and urged fans to enjoy him while they can.