A hat-trick from Lionel Messi propelled Argentina to a commanding victory over Algeria as the reigning champions opened their FIFA World Cup title defence in emphatic fashion, with the captain matching Miroslav Klose’s record as the tournament’s all-time leading scorer.
Messi, making his 200th appearance for Argentina, delivered his first World Cup hat-trick to take his tally at the finals to 16 goals, drawing level with former Germany striker Miroslav Klose at the top of the competition’s all-time scoring charts.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner produced another landmark performance as Argentina sought to become only the third nation to successfully defend the World Cup title. The victory also marked the first time the three-time world champions had won their opening match as defending champions, having previously suffered defeats in 1982 and 1990.
The 38-year-old set the tone in the 17th minute, curling a superb effort beyond Algerian goalkeeper Luca Zidane, son of French football great Zinedine Zidane. Messi had been picked out by his Inter Miami teammate Rodrigo De Paul before producing a trademark finish in what was his 27th World Cup appearance.
The encounter exploded into life early on, with both sides seeing goals ruled out during a frenetic opening spell. Messi had an earlier strike disallowed before Algeria also had an effort chalked off just three minutes later.
On a night that saw him become the first player to feature in six World Cups, Messi’s brilliance was accompanied by a moment of controversy. The Argentine captain escaped punishment midway through the first half after a reckless challenge on Algeria defender Aissa Mandi.
