Lionel Messi celebrated his 200th appearance for Argentina in unforgettable fashion, scoring a hat-trick as the reigning FIFA World Cup champions opened their Group J campaign with a commanding 3-0 victory over Algeria at Arrowhead Stadium.
The 38-year-old captain, who was making history as the first player to feature in six FIFA World Cups, once again proved decisive for La Albiceleste, delivering a masterclass that not only secured three points but also saw him join Miroslav Klose as the tournament’s all-time leading scorer with 16 World Cup goals.
The match burst into life from the opening whistle, with both sides seeing early goals ruled out for offside inside the first eight minutes.
Messi thought he had handed Argentina a dream start after finishing one of his trademark runs, only for the flag to deny him.
Moments later, Algeria’s Farès Chaïbi beat goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez with a low effort, but celebrations were again cut short by an offside decision.
Messi would not have to wait long to make his mark. In the 17th minute, Rodrigo De Paul’s perfectly weighted pass split the Algerian defence, allowing the Argentine skipper to surge forward before unleashing a powerful left-footed strike into the top corner.
The goal settled Argentina, who dominated possession for much of the first half. With Alexis Mac Allister and De Paul controlling the midfield, the South Americans enjoyed 68 percent of the ball and dictated the tempo.
Algeria spent long spells chasing shadows but remained competitive, with Chaïbi creating several promising opportunities before the break, though none troubled the scoreboard.
Argentina resumed after halftime with the same intensity. Lautaro Martínez forced Luca Zidane into an excellent save, and the Algerian goalkeeper was called into action repeatedly as pressure mounted.
The second goal arrived on the hour mark. Mac Allister’s long-range effort slipped through Zidane’s grasp, and Messi reacted quickest to convert the rebound from close range and double Argentina’s advantage.
Zidane briefly denied Messi his hat-trick with a brilliant one-handed save that tipped a goal-bound effort over the crossbar, but the veteran forward would not be denied.
With 15 minutes remaining, Argentina launched a swift counter-attack that ended with Messi collecting possession on the edge of the area before drilling a low shot beyond Zidane to complete his hat-trick.
The goal carried historic significance, moving him level with German legend Miroslav Klose atop the World Cup scoring charts on 16 goals, and surpassing Kylian Mbappé, Gerd Müller and Ronaldo Nazario in one night.
The victory continues Argentina’s impressive run of form, with the world champions now winning 14 of their last 16 matches across all competitions.
More importantly, it gives Lionel Scaloni’s men a perfect start in their quest to retain the World Cup crown.
For Algeria, the defeat extends a difficult World Cup record. The North Africans have now managed just one victory in 10 World Cup matches since 1982 and will need a response when they face Jordan in their next Group J fixture.
Argentina will look to build on their winning start when they take on Austria next Monday at 8pm, while Algeria face Jordan on Tuesday morning at 6 am, seeking their first points of the campaign.
