Lionel Messi opened his record-breaking sixth World Cup campaign with a stunning hat-trick as Argentina cruised to a 3-0 victory over Algeria in their Group J opener on Tuesday, reinforcing their status as defending champions.
The Argentine captain also equalled the all-time World Cup scoring record, joining Germany’s Miroslav Klose on 16 goals, in what was a dominant display at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium.
Argentine forward Lionel Messi opened his record-breaking sixth World Cup with a hat-trick to become the tournament’s joint all-time top scorer on Tuesday as holders Argentina launched their bid for back-to-back titles with a dazzling 3-0 rout of Algeria.
The 38-year-old made history before kick-off by becoming the first male footballer to feature in six World Cup tournaments, marking his 200th international appearance as he led Argentina onto the pitch.
Messi, who debuted at the 2006 World Cup in Germany as a teenager, delivered a masterclass performance to underline his enduring quality on football’s biggest stage.
His first goal came in the 17th minute, a curling strike that took his World Cup tally to 14 and moved him alongside German great Gerd Müller and France star Kylian Mbappé in the all-time rankings at that time.
He later moved further up the scoring chart, reaching 15 goals after converting a rebound from an Alexis Mac Allister effort to make it 2-0, placing him level with Brazilian legend Ronaldo.
Messi then completed his hat-trick in the 76th minute, sweeping in a low finish from the edge of the box to reach 16 World Cup goals, drawing level with Klose at the top of the all-time list.
He was substituted four minutes later to a standing ovation from a packed and appreciative crowd.
Despite the milestone, Messi played down its significance.
“It’s an honour to be there, given what it means to stand alongside Klose or the others, Ronaldo is there too, but I don’t think it means anything. In the end, it’s just a statistic and nothing more,” he said.
Argentina’s victory comes after their dramatic 2022 World Cup triumph in Qatar, where they defeated France on penalties following a 3-3 draw in a final that also featured a hat-trick from Kylian Mbappé.
Elsewhere in the tournament, Mbappé began his campaign in strong form, scoring twice in France’s 3-1 win over Senegal, while overtaking Olivier Giroud as France’s all-time leading scorer with 58 goals.
Coach Didier Deschamps praised his star forward, saying: “There are still people out there who will criticise him, but he is an extraordinary player.”
Erling Haaland also made a strong World Cup debut, scoring twice in Norway’s 4-1 win over Iraq, taking his international tally to 57 goals in just 51 appearances.
Norway coach Ståle Solbakken praised the striker’s impact, saying: “You could see that he adapted to the occasion, the occasion wasn’t too big for him.”
In another Group J fixture, Austria secured a 3-1 win over debutants Jordan, despite being briefly pegged back after Jordan scored their first-ever World Cup goal through Ali Olwan.
