Messi hat-trick opens Argentina's World Cup defense with 3–0 win

Messi hat-trick buries Algeria in World Cup opener

Argentina 3–0 Algeria in Kansas City on Wednesday, and Lionel Messi scored all three (1) (3) (5) (7) (8) (10) (12) (14). A World Cup hat-trick at 38 years old. Your team opened as the defending champion looked, efficient, ruthless, and never in danger.

Messi's first came early, a finish through traffic that set the tone. The second was pure placement. The third, a late strike that sealed it, moved him past Miroslav Klose on the all-time World Cup scoring list (10). Klose himself said he was "fine" with it (10).

Mauricio Pochettino, watching from afar, did not hold back: "There are no words to describe this Argentina team and Messi" (5).

Daniel Riolo on French radio called Messi's form "breathtaking" and added a pointed comparison: unlike Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi's teammates still believe in him and he rewards that belief (3).

The match was not without friction. Algerian defender Assa Mandi posted on Instagram after the game, complaining that a foul on him by Messi went unpunished, no yellow, no red, while implying he could have fractured his ankle (see Fan-reaktioner).

BBC ranked Argentina among the strongest teams of the first round, while ge.globo had Brazil at 92% to advance and France installed as the new tournament favorite (8) (9).

Messi wept during the anthem, here is why

Cameras caught Messi in tears during the Argentine national anthem before kickoff. Argentine journalist Martín Mazur explained the context: Messi's grandmother, Celia, passed away years ago but her birthday falls on June 17, the day after the match. The emotion hit during the anthem, knowing she was not there to see him lead Argentina again as world champion (7).

Post-match: mate, smiles, and Messi in slippers

Olé captured the scene at Argentina's recovery session the day after: Messi walking around in slippers, teammates sharing mate, the mood light (13). No drama. No injuries of note. Just a squad that handled its opening test and moved on.

Fan-reaktioner

Argentine fans are not just celebrating, they are furious. A group of Albiceleste supporters reported being shot at by gunmen while traveling to the Algeria match in an Uber, a story that blew up on r/soccer overnight. The incident is separate from events inside the stadium but has rattled the fanbase. Meanwhile, the Mandi Instagram post about Messi's unpunished foul has split reactions: some calling it a clear red, others dismissing it as sour grapes after a 3–0 loss. Full discussion here