Argentina began their World Cup title defense with a commanding 3-0 victory over Algeria at Kansas City Stadium. Lionel Messi led the charge with a hat-trick, marking his 200th international appearance for Argentina. The team took control early, with Messi opening the scoring in the 17th minute after a precise pass from Rodrigo De Paul. Despite Algeria’s efforts to regroup, Argentina maintained pressure throughout the match.

In the second half, Messi doubled the lead in the 60th minute, capitalizing on a rebound from a shot by Mac Allister. He completed his hat-trick in the 76th minute after a well-coordinated attack with Nicolas Gonzalez. The win not only secured three points for Argentina in Group J but also highlighted Messi’s enduring brilliance at age 38.

The match was historic for Messi, who equaled Miroslav Klose’s World Cup goal tally of 16, became the oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick, and surpassed Pelé’s record for total goal contributions in the tournament.