Messi Shines with Hat Trick in Argentina's World Cup Opener

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Lionel Messi walked into another chapter of World Cup history on Sunday night, and did it with the casual cruelty that has defined his career.

Three goals. A 3-0 win over Algeria. A statement start to Argentina’s title defense at Arrowhead Stadium. And with it, Messi pulled level with Miroslav Klose on 16 World Cup goals, the joint-highest total in the tournament’s history.

He is 38 years old. You wouldn’t have known it.

A Different Opening Act

Argentina came into this World Cup opener with scars. The memory of that stunning defeat to Saudi Arabia in 2022 still lingers in the country’s football psyche, a reminder that even giants can trip on the first step.

There was no stumble this time.

From the first whistle, Argentina played with the urgency of a champion that remembers exactly how fragile these nights can be. Messi dropped deep, dictated tempo, and picked his moments to drift into dangerous spaces. The crowd, awash in sky blue and white, barely had time to settle before he struck.

Seventeen minutes in, the captain took control.

Rodrigo De Paul, busy and industrious as ever, linked up neatly with Messi on the edge of the area. One touch to set, one glance, and then that familiar left foot ripped through the ball from outside the box. The shot screamed into the top corner, a finish that left Algeria’s goalkeeper grasping at air and Arrowhead erupting.

Argentina had its early lead. More importantly, it had its rhythm.

Control, Threat, and a Zidane in Goal

Once in front, Argentina began to toy with the game’s pace. They shifted gears when they pleased, probing Algeria’s lines, forcing them to chase shadows.

Thiago Almada should have stretched the advantage before the break, but his effort lacked the precision of his captain’s. Lautaro Martínez then forced Luca Zidane — son of French legend Zinedine Zidane — into action with a sharp effort that tested the keeper’s reactions.

Zidane, under an enormous surname and an even bigger stage, did his best to keep Algeria alive. He would see plenty more of Messi before the night was done.

The Pressure Finally Tells

Argentina emerged from halftime with the same authority, and the second goal felt inevitable. When it came, it was messy in build-up, clinical in finish.

Just after the hour mark, Alexis Mac Allister carved out a chance and fired on goal. Zidane parried the initial strike, but the rebound spilled into the one area Algeria could not afford: Messi’s orbit.

He pounced.

One swing of that left foot and the ball was in the net again. 2-0. A second goal on the night, a 16th of his World Cup career, and Klose’s once-solitary record now shared.

Argentina’s bench leapt. The stadium understood the significance. A record that had stood as a monument to tournament longevity was suddenly within Messi’s reach.

He nearly broke it minutes later.

Released clean through, Messi found himself one-on-one with Zidane, the kind of scene that usually ends with a familiar outcome. This time, the goalkeeper stood tall, smothering the chance and denying what looked certain to be history. Moments later, Messi appealed for a penalty after contact in the area, but the referee waved play on.

Algeria were hanging on, but only just.

The Hat Trick, and a Standing Ovation

The resistance finally snapped in the 76th minute.

Nicolás González slipped a precise pass into Messi’s path. No flourish, no need. Messi shaped his body, opened his left foot and threaded a low, controlled finish into the corner. Simple. Ruthless. Inevitable.

Hat trick complete.

Arrowhead rose to its feet, a neutral venue transformed into a tribute stage. This was not just another group-stage performance; it felt like an audience aware it was watching the closing chapters of a once-in-a-lifetime career, still capable of bending the biggest tournament in football to his will.

As the clock wound down, Messi’s work was done. When his number went up and he walked toward the touchline, the ovation was thunderous. Teammates embraced him. Fans filmed every step. Argentina had its three points, its clean sheet, and its talisman glowing at the center of it all.

The defending champions had avoided drama, avoided doubt, and avoided any echo of 2022’s early chaos.

Now Messi stands level with Klose on 16 World Cup goals, with Group J fixtures against Austria and Jordan still to come.

The record is no longer a question of if. It’s a matter of when — and how far beyond it he intends to go.