Argentina’s World Cup title defense is barely 90 minutes old, and Lionel Messi has already thrown down a statement that echoes across the globe. In Tuesday’s Group J opener against Algeria, the 38-year-old superstar delivered a hat trick that not only powered Argentina to a 3-0 victory but also lifted him into a tie for the most goals in FIFA World Cup history — a mark that once felt untouchable.
The first goal arrived with the kind of casual brilliance that defines Messi’s late-career renaissance. Picking up the ball well outside the box, he took two touches, surveyed the defense, and unleashed a curling strike that sailed past Algerian goalkeeper Luca Zidane before the keeper could fully react. Argentina led 1-0, and the defending champions had their spark.
But this wasn’t just a flash of individual genius. It was a tactical statement. Argentina kept pushing, knowing a one-goal lead against a capable Algeria side was far from secure. The breakthrough came in the 58th minute. A weak parry from Zidane fell directly to Messi, who tapped in the rebound to make it 2-0. The crowd erupted, but Messi wasn’t done.
Sixteen minutes later, Argentina capitalized on a counterattack. Messi carried the ball against a retreating Algerian defense, slipped a pass to Nico Gonzalez, and then got it back just outside the box. With his left foot, he bent a perfect shot into the far corner — his third of the match, Argentina’s third of the night, and a record-equaling moment that sent social media into overdrive.
The hat trick moved Messi into a tie for the all-time World Cup goals lead, a milestone that cements his legacy in a tournament already full of his fingerprints. Fans online noted the symmetry: Messi, playing in what could be his final World Cup, is still rewriting the record books on American soil — a fitting stage for a player who now calls Inter Miami home.
Algeria faces a steep climb back from a 3-0 deficit, and with group games against Austria and Jordan remaining, Argentina looks like a lock to top Group J. The team’s core, battle-tested from the 2022 title run, appears sharper than ever. Messi’s form suggests age is just a number — and that Argentina’s path to another final might run straight through him.
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