Daijiworld Media Network – Kansas City
Kansas City, Jun 17: Lionel Messi produced another memorable performance on football's biggest stage, scoring his first-ever FIFA World Cup hat-trick as defending champions Argentina cruised to a 3-0 victory over Algeria in their opening match of the tournament.
The Argentine captain, making a record sixth World Cup appearance, also equalled former Germany striker Miroslav Klose's tally of 16 World Cup goals, becoming the joint-highest scorer in the competition's history.
Messi appeared to have opened the scoring in the eighth minute, but his effort was ruled out for offside. The setback proved only temporary as the veteran forward soon put Argentina ahead with a trademark solo run before unleashing a powerful left-footed strike from the edge of the penalty area that beat Algerian goalkeeper Luca Zidane.
Argentina dominated possession and doubled their advantage in the 60th minute when Messi reacted quickest to tap in a rebound after Alexis Mac Allister's shot was parried by the goalkeeper.
The highlight of the evening came in the 76th minute when Messi completed his hat-trick with a clinical low finish from outside the box, drawing loud cheers from the crowd and adding another milestone to his illustrious career.
Three minutes later, the 38-year-old was substituted to a standing ovation, with Argentina comfortably in control and already looking ahead to their quest to become only the third nation to successfully defend a World Cup title.
Algeria offered little resistance throughout the contest, although they briefly thought they had scored early when Fares Chaibi found the net in the ninth minute, only for the goal to be disallowed for offside.
Messi's brilliance ensured there would be no repeat of Argentina's shock opening defeat to Saudi Arabia at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, a tournament they eventually won after defeating France in the final.
Currently playing for Major League Soccer side Inter Miami, Messi had entered the tournament after recovering from a minor hamstring injury sustained during the club season. Any concerns over his fitness were quickly put to rest with a commanding display against the African champions.
The match also marked Messi's 200th international appearance for Argentina, a remarkable achievement in a career spanning more than two decades. Only Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo and Kuwait's Bader Al-Mutawa have made more appearances in men's international football.
Elsewhere, France's Kylian Mbappe scored twice in a 3-1 win over Senegal, while Norway's Erling Haaland netted a brace in his side's 4-1 victory over Iraq.
Argentina will next face Austria as they continue their campaign to retain the World Cup crown.