Messi scores hat-trick as Argentina opens World Cup defense with win

Lionel Messi did more than open Argentina’s World Cup defense. He turned Kansas City Stadium into a stage for a reigning champion still carrying the weight of history, scoring three times as Argentina beat Algeria 3-0 and immediately signaled that the title holder intends to matter again at the center of global sport.

Messi struck in the 17th, 60th and 76th minutes, recording his first hat-trick in a World Cup and matching Miroslav Klose’s all-time tournament mark of 16 goals. The night also moved Messi into his own separate category: he became the first player to appear in six World Cups and extended the appearance record to 26 matches before this game. For Argentina, the result delivered the sort of forceful start that the defending champions wanted after lifting the trophy in Qatar 2022.

The symbolism reached well beyond the scoreline. Messi’s 200th appearance for Argentina came with the kind of authority that has defined his international career, and his three-goal burst arrived 20 years after his first World Cup goal. The match began at a fierce pace, with goals ruled out for offside at both ends, including one from Messi and another from Algeria, before the Argentina captain settled the contest with three precise finishes.

Argentina’s opener also carried the pressure of expectation that follows a champion into a tournament. FIFA had pointed out before kickoff that Lionel Scaloni’s side arrived as the reigning title holder and was trying to do something no modern champion has managed since the current format took hold: retain the crown. The job started with a clean, convincing win in Group J, where Algeria entered as the African side that had topped its qualifying group and with Riyad Mahrez as its central threat.

The scene in Kansas City reflected why these events resonate so powerfully in the United States. A World Cup match with Argentina in focus, Messi chasing records, and supporters turning an American venue into a makeshift home crowd showed how global tournaments have become mass cultural events on U.S. soil, pulling together sport, identity and local spectacle in a single night. Argentina left with three points, but also with the sense that its champion’s aura remains intact.