KANSAS CITY, Missouri : Lionel Messi silenced any lingering doubts about his enduring influence with a dazzling hat-trick as defending champions Argentina opened their World Cup campaign with a commanding 3-0 victory over Algeria in Group J on Tuesday.
The 38-year-old forward equalled Miroslav Klose’s all-time World Cup scoring record of 16 goals and became the first player to appear in six World Cup tournaments, delivering another memorable performance on the biggest stage.
Playing in his 200th international match and less than two weeks before his 39th birthday, Messi also became the oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick, exactly 20 years after netting his first goal in the competition.
Argentina thought they had taken the lead inside five minutes when Messi found the net, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside.
Algeria also had an early goal disallowed when Fares Chaibi was flagged offside, but Argentina soon began to assert their authority.
Messi opened the scoring in the 17th minute after collecting a perfectly weighted through ball from Rodrigo De Paul. Advancing towards goal, he unleashed a powerful strike from outside the penalty area that brushed the fingertips of goalkeeper Luca Zidane before flying into the top corner.
The holders doubled their advantage in the 60th minute when Alexis Mac Allister’s long-range effort was spilled by Zidane, allowing Messi to react quickest and slot home from close range.
“There are no words to describe it,” Mac Allister said.
“I think if anyone thought this team was better without Leo, today it became clear that Leo is the most important player of all. We have to build a team around him, where he feels comfortable.”
Messi completed his hat-trick in the 76th minute, firing home after being set up by substitute Nico Gonzalez to cap another masterclass in an Argentina shirt.
“What makes the difference is they have a player who doesn’t forgive,” Algeria defender Aissa Mandi said.
“Almost every chance ends up in the back of the net. He’s a player, maybe the best player of all time, so that’s his efficiency, and it’s formidable.”
Algeria briefly felt aggrieved when Messi escaped punishment after appearing to step on Mandi’s calf during the first half, but the incident did not alter the course of the match.
Argentina arrived at the tournament with questions surrounding their credentials after a lengthy absence from matches against European opposition and memories of slow starts at recent World Cups, including a shock defeat by Saudi Arabia in 2022 and a draw with Iceland in 2018.
Those concerns were emphatically swept aside as Lionel Scaloni’s side produced a composed and authoritative display that underlined their status as one of the favourites to retain the trophy.
Argentina are attempting to become the first men’s team to successfully defend a World Cup title since Brazil achieved the feat in 1962.
“While we had the experience of the last World Cup, where we started perhaps not in the best way and ended up winning, we know how important it is to start with a win and gain confidence,” Mac Allister said.
Argentina next face Austria in Arlington, Texas, on Monday, while Algeria take on Jordan in Santa Clara, California.
