Messi’s first World Cup goal denied by VAR in Argentina opener

Lionel Messi needed only five minutes to announce himself in Argentina’s World Cup opener, but VAR took the goal away just as quickly. Lautaro Martínez slipped the ball into Messi’s path, the captain burst into space and bent a left-footed finish inside the post, only for the officials to rule him offside in Argentina’s first Group J match against Algeria at Kansas City Stadium.

The sequence captured how thin the margins were in Argentina’s 2026 title defense. FIFA had framed the game as an early barometer for the defending champions, a first-ever World Cup meeting with Algeria that carried extra weight because of Messi’s place at the center of the tournament and the expectation that he and Julián Álvarez would lead the attack. Instead, the first clear statement came and went without changing the score, a reminder that one line on a VAR screen can alter the emotional tone of a match as much as any goal.

Even without the finish counting, the move exposed the precision of Argentina’s front line. Martínez’s pass was sharp and timed to Messi’s run, and the shot itself was clean enough to kiss the post on its way in. It also showed where Algeria could be vulnerable, with Messi finding pockets between the lines before the offside flag cut short the moment. The opening minutes already hinted at the wider rhythm of the contest: Argentina pushing high, Algeria forced to stay alert, and the tempo set by every touch around the edge of the box.

The disallowed strike also fit a familiar pattern for Argentina on the World Cup stage. In Qatar in 2022, Argentina had two other first-half goals ruled out for offside, including one by Messi and another against Martínez, both correctly flagged. That history made the Kansas City decision feel less like an isolated call than part of a recurring tension around Argentina’s attack, where razor-thin margins often separate celebration from frustration.

For Messi, the call did not erase the sharpness of the movement, only the reward. For Argentina, it underscored how quickly a match can swing between control and doubt, especially when the defending champions are measured not only by what they score, but by how often the margins refuse to let it stand.