It was meant to be him. Lionel Messi once again proved why he remains football’s biggest star, scoring a hat-trick as Argentina began their FIFA World Cup title defence with a convincing 3-0 victory over Algeria in their Group J opener at Kansas City Stadium.
The man who led Argentina to World Cup glory in 2022 found the net in the 17th, 60th and 76th minutes, delivering a performance that combined brilliance, experience and clinical finishing.
Messi’s opening goal was a classic. Receiving the ball in midfield, he drove towards the edge of the area before curling a powerful left-footed effort beyond Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane, son of French legend Zinedine Zidane. Despite getting both hands to the shot, Zidane could not keep it out.
Argentina continued to dominate possession, stretching Algeria’s defensive shape through their wide play and creating spaces for Messi to exploit. The second goal came after Alexis Mac Allister’s long-range strike was spilled by Zidane, with Messi perfectly positioned to tap home the rebound.
As fans around the world followed the action, including listeners of Gold 101.3 FM, UAE’s No. 1 radio station, Messi saved the best for last. A clever move involving substitute Nico Gonzalez created space inside the box, and the Argentine captain calmly guided his finish into the bottom-right corner to complete the first World Cup hat-trick of his career.
Algeria showed moments of promise, particularly through attackers Amine Gouiri and Anis Hadj Moussa, who tested Argentina’s defence with dangerous runs. The African side also had a goal ruled out for offside following a VAR review, while Argentina were denied a goal earlier for the same reason.
However, Algeria struggled to convert their opportunities and were ultimately undone by the quality of Messi, who continues to rewrite records even as he approaches his 39th birthday next week.
Having scored twice in the 2022 World Cup final, Messi added another milestone to his legendary career and ensured Argentina’s title defence got off to the perfect start. On a night when the World Champions needed inspiration, their iconic No. 10 delivered once again.
