Messi scores hat-trick as Argentina beat Algeria
DOHA: Argentina captain Lionel Messi scored a sensational hat-trick to lead his side to a memorable victory over Algeria in their opening World Cup match, giving the defending champions a strong start to their title defense.
The win in the group-stage opener saw Argentina overcome Algeria as Messi delivered a standout performance in his 200th international appearance.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DZq-BnNFpf8/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=AfEEqreGBPCfEdn0xcQv82t
The 38-year-old forward scored his first goal in the 17th minute to give Argentina the lead. He added his second after capitalizing on an error by Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane in the second half before completing his hat-trick with a powerful strike in the 76th minute.
With the treble, Messi’s World Cup goal tally rose to 16, drawing him level with Germany’s Miroslav Klose as the joint-highest scorer in the tournament’s history.
The Argentine star also achieved another milestone by becoming the first player to feature in six different World Cup editions, having previously played in 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 and now 2026.