Lionel Messi, Argentina, Algeria, Lionel Scaloni
18 June 2026
Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick as Argentina opened their World Cup title defence with a 3-0 win over Algeria. The goals moved him level with Miroslav Klose on 16 World Cup goals, matching the all-time tournament record.
Messi brushed off recent fitness concerns to dominate the game and avoid a repeat of Argentina’s 2022 opening-match shock. The performance strengthened Argentina’s early momentum and reignited talk about another deep World Cup run.