Lionel Messi delivered a football masterclass for the ages, scoring a historic hat-trick to lead Argentina to a commanding 3-0 victory over Algeria in their World Cup opening match at Kansas City Stadium.
On a day featuring the tournament’s biggest superstars, the 38-year-old maestro took center stage, becoming the first player in football history to feature in six World Cups—surpassing his longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo by just a day. Exactly twenty years after his tournament debut at Germany 2006, Messi’s 200th appearance for his country turned into an unforgettable celebration.
The deadlock was broken in the 18th minute. Messi shifted the ball onto his trademark left foot and unleashed a spectacular 25-yard curled effort into the top-right corner. Algeria’s goalkeeper, Luca Zidane—son of French legend Zinedine Zidane—got his hands to the ball, but the strike carried too much power, sending the stadium into a frenzy.
Messi struck again in the 60th minute, capitalizing on a costly error by Zidane to calmly slot home his second of the night, becoming the oldest player to score twice in a World Cup match. The historic moment arrived in the 76th minute when Messi completed his hat-trick off a precise pass from substitute Nico Gonzalez. The goal marked his 16th career World Cup strike, tying him with Germany’s Miroslav Klose as the all-time joint-top scorer in World Cup finals history.
However, the match was not without controversy. In the first half, with Argentina leading 1-0, Messi caught Algeria’s Aissa Mandi with an awkward challenge, his studs going down the defender’s calf. Neither referee Szymon Marciniak nor the VAR officials deemed it a red card, sparking intense debate among analysts post-match.
Despite the controversy, the night belonged entirely to the Argentine captain, who left the pitch to a thunderous standing ovation from thousands of fans, including Kansas City Chiefs superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who watched the magic unfold from the stands. With this masterclass, Messi has once again proven that age is just a number as he aims to guide Argentina all the way to glory.
