It was just after midnight in Buenos Aires, and approaching dawn on the east coast of America — but for Indian fans watching across the world, the Argentina vs Algeria kick-off arrived at 6:30 in the morning IST. Worth every alarm clock. Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick on his 200th international appearance as Argentina opened their FIFA World Cup 2026™ campaign with a commanding 3-0 victory at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City.
Messi equalled Miroslav Klose’s all-time World Cup scoring record of 16 goals in the process. This was not just an opening win. It was a statement — from the defending champions and their captain — that the story is far from over.
A Frantic, VAR-Disrupted Opening
The match began in chaos. Within the first ten minutes, both teams had celebrations cut short by the Video Assistant Referee. First, Messi’s early opener was ruled out for offside — the Argentina dugout barely had time to react before the flag went up. Moments later, Algeria’s Farès Chaïbi appeared to have levelled things in dramatic fashion, only for VAR to find an infringement in the build-up. Goals given, goals taken, nothing on the board.
It was exactly the kind of frenzied opening that makes the World Cup unlike any other competition. The stakes, the tension, the margins — all of it compressed into 90 minutes. Argentina, to their credit, absorbed the VAR swings without losing their composure.
The deadlock broke in the 17th minute. Rodrigo De Paul played the ball to Messi in a pocket of space roughly 20 yards from goal. No fuss. One touch, a slight body shift, and a curling left-footed effort that bent into the top right corner. The kind of goal that has, over two decades, become almost unremarkable — and yet never quite loses its effect.
Algeria remained competitive through the remainder of the first half, showing enough defensive organisation to prevent Argentina from running away with it early. But the quality gap was evident.
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Mac Allister Turns Supplier, Messi Finishes the Job
The second half brought clarity. On the hour mark, Alexis Mac Allister drove a firm, heavy strike from outside the box. Algeria keeper Luca Zidane — son of the legendary Zinedine Zidane, in one of the tournament’s more layered storylines — could not hold it clean. The ball spilt loose. Messi was there, first to it, poking into an empty net. 2-0. The predatory instinct of a man who has absolutely not finished yet.
Algeria had a brief spell of pressure following the second goal. A couple of half-chances came and went. But Argentina’s defensive structure held firm, and the attacking threat remained constant.
The third goal, in the 76th minute, had a quality altogether different. Argentina broke with pace, the ball shifted wide to create space, and Messi arrived at the edge of the box to slot home cleanly. His first-ever World Cup hat-trick. Done with surgical calm, as if ticking an item off a very long list.
He left the field two minutes later. Every person in Arrowhead Stadium was on their feet. Even the neutral observer would have struggled not to rise from their seat.
The Record and What It Means
Sixteen World Cup goals across five tournaments. A 200th international cap. A hat-trick at 38 years of age. The numbers alone make the case, but they don’t fully capture what Messi means to this Argentine squad — or, frankly, to the sport.
By equalling Klose’s record, previously considered one of football’s more untouchable landmarks, Messi has given himself a clear target as Argentina progress deeper into this tournament. He needs just one more goal to stand alone at the summit of all-time World Cup scorers. With five matches potentially still to play, that record looks very much under threat.
There is a broader context here too. Argentina arrive at this World Cup as defending champions. The pressure to perform — and to justify the hype — is immense. A dominant opening win, delivered through individual brilliance and collective control, sends exactly the right message to the rest of the field.
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Argentina top Group J after matchday one. Algeria must regroup ahead of their next fixture against Jordan. The Algerians showed enough quality in spells to suggest they will not simply fold, but the Messi factor proved decisive. Argentina’s next Group J match is against Austria on 22 June at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, 10:30 PM IST — expect La Albiceleste to be in no mood to ease off.
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