Messi Makes History With Hat-Trick as Argentina Begin World Cup Defence in Style

• Lionel Messi delivered a historic performance on his sixth World Cup appearance, scoring a hat-trick as Argentina defeated Algeria 3-0 to kick off their title defence in dominant fashion.

Lionel Messi made World Cup history on Tuesday after scoring a stunning hat-trick to lead defending champions Argentina to a 3-0 victory over Algeria in their opening Group J match.

The win at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium marked a dream start to Argentina’s bid for back-to-back World Cup titles.

The 38-year-old superstar also reached another major milestone by becoming the first player in history to feature in six FIFA World Cups.

Messi’s appearance was his 200th for Argentina, adding another chapter to an already legendary international career.

The Inter Miami forward opened the scoring in the 17th minute with a curling strike that moved him level with German legend Gerd Muller and France captain Kylian Mbappe on 14 World Cup goals.

He doubled Argentina’s lead in the 60th minute after converting a rebound from Alexis Mac Allister’s effort, taking his tally to 15 goals and moving ahead of both Muller and Mbappe.

Messi completed his first-ever World Cup hat-trick in the 76th minute with a composed finish from the edge of the area.

The goal took his World Cup tally to 16, drawing him level with Germany’s Miroslav Klose as the tournament’s joint all-time leading scorer.

The Argentine captain received a standing ovation from fans as he left the pitch four minutes later after another unforgettable display.

Argentina, who defeated France in the dramatic 2022 World Cup final in Qatar, looked every bit like champions as they comfortably dispatched Algeria.

Elsewhere, France began their campaign with a 3-1 victory over Senegal, thanks largely to a brace from Kylian Mbappe.

The French captain’s double saw him surpass Olivier Giroud to become France’s all-time leading scorer with 58 goals in 99 appearances.

France manager Didier Deschamps praised Mbappe after the match.

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“There are still people out there who will criticise him, but he is an extraordinary player,” Deschamps said.

In another Group I fixture, Norway marked their return to the World Cup with a convincing 4-1 win over Iraq.

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland scored twice on his World Cup debut, taking his international tally to an impressive 57 goals in just 51 matches.

The latest round of matches underlined why the World Cup remains football’s biggest stage—where legends extend their legacy and new stories are written before the world.