Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick and was named FIFA Man of the Match as Argentina kicked off their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Algeria on Tuesday night.
The Argentina captain struck in the 17th, 60th and 76th minutes to hand the defending champions all three points in their opening Group J fixture.
The three goals took Messi’s World Cup tally to 16, drawing him level with Miroslav Klose as the highest scorer in the tournament’s history.
Argentina started on the front foot and almost opened the scoring early when Julian Alvarez tested the Algerian goalkeeper after being picked out by Rodrigo De Paul.
The breakthrough arrived in the 17th minute. Messi collected the ball just outside the box before calmly guiding his finish beyond the goalkeeper to put Argentina ahead.
Algeria attempted to respond through Baghdad Bounedjah and Mohamed Amoura, but Argentina’s defence, marshalled by Cristian Romero and Nicolas Otamendi, stood firm.
Emiliano Martinez was also called into action before the break and produced an important save to preserve Argentina’s lead heading into halftime.
Argentina continued to dominate after the restart and doubled their advantage in the 60th minute. Messi finished off a well-worked move involving De Paul and Enzo Fernandez to put his side in complete control.
The 38-year-old completed his hat-trick in the 76th minute with another composed finish, ending any hopes of an Algerian comeback and sealing a memorable night for the Argentine skipper.
De Paul was outstanding in midfield, while Álvarez’s movement and work rate caused problems for the Algerian backline throughout the contest.
Messi’s performance was later recognised with the FIFA Man of the Match award after he delivered one of the standout displays of the tournament so far.
The result gives Argentina the perfect start in Group J, but the night’s biggest story was Messi’s latest milestone.
Twenty years after scoring his first World Cup goal, the Argentine legend is now level with Klose on 16 goals at the tournament, further cementing his place among the greatest players the game has ever seen.
Argentina will face Austria in their next group match, while Algeria will look to bounce back against Jordan.
