7M - Argentina 3-0 Algeria: Vintage Messi Treble Powers Argentina Past Algeria in Historic World Cup Opener

Defending champions Argentina kicked off their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign in style, cruising to a comfortable 3-0 victory over Algeria in their Group J opener at Kansas City Stadium. The night belonged entirely to talismanic captain Lionel Messi, who marked a historic evening with a clinical hat-trick.

Making his 200th international appearance and becoming the first male player to feature in six different World Cup tournaments, the 38-year-old maestro put on a masterclass. Messi broke the deadlock in the 17th minute with a sensational long-range strike into the top corner, an emotional goal that notably moved the veteran to tears. He doubled the Albiceleste's advantage on the hour mark, reacting quickest to pounce on a rebound after Alexis Mac Allister's shot was spilled by Algerian goalkeeper Luca Zidane. The Inter Miami superstar then capped off his magical performance in the 76th minute, converting a low, trademark curling effort to seal his first-ever World Cup hat-trick.

With this treble, Messi wrote yet another chapter in football folklore, taking his World Cup tally to 16 goals to join Germany's Miroslav Klose as the joint-all-time top scorer in tournament history. He also surpassed Cristiano Ronaldo as the oldest player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup match. The commanding win gives Lionel Scaloni’s men the perfect start as they look to retain their crown, with a clash against Austria up next on June 22.