Messi Hat Trick, Mbappe Brilliance and Haaland Debut Highlight Historic World Cup Night
Four matches were played overnight Tuesday to Wednesday in the 2026 World Cup, and the opening round produced a memorable set of results. Two of the leading title contenders started strongly with convincing wins, as France beat Senegal 3-1 behind a standout display from Kylian Mbappe, and defending champions Argentina thrashed Algeria 3-0 thanks to an iconic hat trick by Lionel Messi in his 200th appearance for the national team.
Austria also began the tournament with a 3-1 win over stubborn Jordan, marking a dream return to the World Cup after 28 years away. Norway completed the night’s standout performances with a 4-1 rout of Iraq, powered by a debut to remember from Erling Haaland, who scored twice.
The article highlighted all four matches from the opening night of the tournament: France versus Senegal, Argentina versus Algeria, Iraq versus Norway, and Austria versus Jordan. The report described the evening as historic and emphasized the major individual performances that defined it.
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