Messi Hat-Trick Ties Klose Record in Argentina Win
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- Messi opened the scoring with a curled finish in the 18th minute and went on to claim a hat-trick — his first ever at a World Cup — in Argentina's 3-0 win over Algeria, his 200th international appearance.
- Messi said his tears were "completely unrelated to football," crediting "the entire delegation and my team-mates" for supporting him through "difficult days" after being seen wiping his eyes on his shirt.
- Messi moved to 16 World Cup goals, tying Germany's Miroslav Klose as the competition's all-time leading scorer, and became the first player in history to appear at six World Cups — 20 years to the day after his debut vs Serbia and Montenegro.
- Argentina won an opening World Cup match as defending champions for the first time, having lost their openers in 1982 and 1990.
- Alexis Mac Allister said: "If anyone thought this team was better without Leo, today it was proven that the opposite is true," after Messi was substituted to a standing ovation in the 80th minute at Kansas City Stadium.
- Messi's record-breaking display came amid fitness doubts following his early substitution in Inter Miami's last MLS outing due to muscle fatigue.
- Argentina face Austria on Monday 22 June (18:00 BST) in their second Group J match.
Why it matters: Messi, 38, is now tied as the World Cup's all-time top scorer and the first player to appear at six tournaments — milestones that redefine his legacy and strengthen Argentina's bid to become only the third nation to retain the trophy. The defending champions' first-ever opening-match World Cup win, combined with Mac Allister's pushback against any notion the team is better without him, signals Argentina's title-defence credentials heading into Austria.
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