Messi begins defence of World Cup with hat trick

Lionel Messi has spent two decades bending World Cups to his will, but in Kansas he delivered something special even by his standards: a first World Cup hat-trick, a place alongside Miroslav Klose on 16 all‑time tournament goals, and a performance that felt like a personal highlight reel stitched into Argentina’s opening win. At 38, he is still untouchable. Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Algeria was dominant, but the night belonged entirely to their star No 10.

A masterclass from minute one

Argentina settled instantly, with Enzo Fernández, Alexis Mac Allister and Rodrigo De Paul snapping into midfield control. But everything revolved around Messi, who drifted, dictated and destroyed. His first goal arrived after 17 minutes, shaped beautifully beyond Luca Zidane after De Paul sliced Algeria open with a cutting pass. It was the kind of finish that looked inevitable the moment the ball reached him.

There was controversy soon after. Messi escaped punishment for a clumsy rake down Aïssa Mandi’s calf, a moment that could have changed the tone of the night. Referee Szymon Marciniak gave a foul but no card; VAR didn’t intervene. Algeria protested, but the game rolled on, and Messi rolled with it.

Second-half surge

Argentina tightened their grip after the break. Alexei Mac Allister’s low strike forced a parry, and Messi reacted first, steering home with his right foot, the weaker one, supposedly, to double the lead on 60 minutes. By then, Algeria were stretched, chasing shadows, and Messi was operating in full flow.

His third was the pick of the bunch: a curling, bending, low strike from the edge of the box that kissed the inside of the post. A hat-trick completed in style, a stadium on its feet, and a moment that felt like a closing chapter written by the greatest to ever do it.

He was substituted soon after to a standing ovation from a crowd overwhelmingly draped in sky blue and white. Even Algerian fans applauded. You don’t witness history every day.

The goals came exactly 20 years after Messi’s World Cup debut against Serbia and Montenegro, a match he also scored in. Two decades later, he is still rewriting the record books. He is now the oldest player to score multiple times in a World Cup match, surpassing Roger Milla’s long‑standing mark.

Should he have seen red?

The debate will linger. IFAB rules state a player should be sent off for a tackle that endangers an opponent. Messi’s challenge on Mandi was clumsy and high, but Marciniak judged it careless rather than reckless. VAR did not intervene. Messi stayed on, and the rest is history.

Argentina begin their title defence with authority. Messi begins his final World Cup with a statement. With three goals in game one, the race for the Golden Boot is officially on. The one major World Cup award he has never won.

Messi took six shots, had the joint-most touches in the Algerian box, and still found time to graft. Only De Paul and Fernández made more tackles. He won duels, threaded passes, and worked like a player half his age.

His 200th international cap became a celebration of longevity, brilliance and a footballer still capable of elevating a team and a tournament. If this is the last dance, he’s starting it with fireworks.

A perfect start

Argentina leave Kansas with three points, three goals, and a reminder that their captain remains the sport’s defining force. Algeria were game but outmatched. Messi was simply too much.

A hat-trick, a record equalled, a legend still expanding. The World Cup has its storylines, but it appears Messi is continuing to write his own.

Featured image via Al Jazeera