Argentina 3 – 0 Algeria

Match Report

Lionel Messi marked his record sixth World Cup appearance — at 38 years old, on his 200th international cap — by doing the one thing he had somehow never done at this tournament across five previous editions: scoring a hat-trick. Argentina's win over Algeria was comfortable on the scoreline, but the story was entirely about the man wearing the armband.

Messi opened the scoring in the 17th minute, calmly finishing from inside the box to settle any early nerves. He added a second in the 60th minute, and completed the hat-trick in the 76th — his first at a World Cup, and a goal that also drew him level with Miroslav Klose's all-time men's World Cup scoring tally of 16. At 38, he also became the oldest player to score multiple goals in a single World Cup match, surpassing Roger Milla's famous Cameroon exploits from Italia '90.

Algeria competed bravely and never let the gap widen beyond what Messi created himself, but were ultimately unable to find an answer to a player who, on the biggest stage of all, still looks utterly undiminished by time.

Argentina's win is exactly the kind of statement a defending — and now record-extending — champion wanted to make on matchday one: professional, controlled, and built around a captain who refuses to stop rewriting the history books.

Match Timeline

• 17'⚽GOAL — Lionel Messi 🇦🇷 — Calmly finishes from inside the box. Argentina lead 1-0.
• 45'⏸️Half-Time: Argentina 1-0 Algeria.
• 60'⚽GOAL — Lionel Messi 🇦🇷 (2nd) — Doubles his and Argentina's tally. 2-0.
• 76'🎩GOAL — Lionel Messi 🇦🇷 (HAT-TRICK) — His first-ever World Cup hat-trick, also levelling Klose's all-time record of 16 World Cup goals. 3-0.

Three Things We Learned

1. Messi Still Has New Pages to Write

Five previous World Cups and he'd never managed a hat-trick — until his sixth, at 38, on his 200th cap. The history books keep needing new chapters.

2. Argentina's Title Defense Starts Calmly

No drama, no scares — just a professional, controlled performance with their captain doing the heavy lifting. Exactly the start a defending champion wants.

3. The Couch Undersold the Magic

Predicted Argentina 2-0 Algeria. Got Argentina 3-0. Winner and clean sheet both nailed — the couch just didn't dare predict a 38-year-old hat-trick for the history books.

Player Ratings

🇦🇷 Argentina

🇩🇿 Algeria

Match Stats

• Messi WC goals (career)16 (ties Klose)
• Caps200th international
• World Cup appearances6 (record)
• Age on hat-trick night38 — oldest ever

Group J — After MD1

Argentina top the group after MD1, with Austria and Jordan still to kick off their campaigns later the same day. Algeria face an uphill climb after a chastening opener.