MEXICO CITY, JUN 17: Lionel Messi scored a majestic hat-trick to equal the all-time World Cup scoring record, answering doubts about his influence at age 38 and breathing life into Argentina’s title defence with a 3-0 Group J win over Algeria on Tuesday.
He drew level with Germany’s Miroslav Klose with 16 goals in total and became the oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick — exactly 20 years to the day since his first goal at the global tournament.
The opening game in Group J at Kansas City Stadium saw another masterclass from the Argentina captain, who turns 39 later this month and was marking his 200th cap for his country as he became the first player to compete at six World Cups.
He had the crowd celebrating what they thought was a dream start with a goal in the opening five minutes but it was chalked off for offside.
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So it felt inevitable that it was the star forward who would rise to the moment for the raucous sea of sky blue and white, with what seemed like every fan in the stands wearing a shirt bearing his name as he gave them another moment of magic.
Messi netted his first in the 17th minute when he collected a brilliant through ball from Rodrigo De Paul, who slipped a perfectly weighted pass between Algeria’s back line.
Messi drove forward before unleashing a rocket from about 25 yards out that glanced off the fingertips of goalkeeper Luca Zidane — son of France great Zinedine Zidane who was in the crowd — and into the top-right corner.
He struck his second in the 60th minute when Alexis Mac Allister fired a low drive from 25 yards that Zidane fumbled badly, the ball spilling awkwardly off his chest and dropping invitingly for Messi, who guided it into the net.
Messi almost completed his hat-trick about five minutes later, but Zidane leapt to push his shot over the bar, yet he did find the net again in the 76th minute with another blistering strike, teed up by substitute Nico Gonzalez.
Player Ratings
Argentina
Emiliano Martínez (7.1), Gonzalo Montiel (6.8), Cristian Romero (7.2), Lisandro Martínez (7.9), Facundo Medina (7.3), Rodrigo De Paul (8.4), Alexis Mac Allister (7.4), Enzo Fernández (7.5), Thiago Almada (7.0), Lionel Messi (9.8), Lautaro Martínez (6.3) | Substitutions: Nahuel Molina (6.9), Nicolás González (7.2), Julián Álvarez (6.0), Nicolás Otamendi (6.3), Nico Paz (6.2)
Algeria
Luca Zidane (5.4), Rafik Belghali (6.1), Aïssa Mandi (6.5), Ramy Bensebaini (6.5), Rayan Aït-Nouri (6.2), Hicham Boudaoui (6.5), Nabil Bentaleb (6.8), Anis Hadj Moussa (6.2), Ibrahim Maza (6.5), Farès Chaïbi (6.7), Amine Gouiri (5.8) | Substitutions: Houssem Aouar (6.0), Mohamed Amoura (6.0), Riyad Mahrez (6.4), Ramiz Zerrouki (6.0), Adil Boulbina (2.0)
