Lionel Messi didn’t just help Argentina open its 2026 World Cup title defense with a win Tuesday night — he rewrote the record books in front of a crowd that made Arrowhead Stadium feel like Buenos Aires. The 3-0 victory over Algeria in Kansas City featured Messi’s first career World Cup hat trick and moved him into a tie with Miroslav Klose for the most goals in tournament history.
What made the night special wasn’t just the result. The scene inside Arrowhead Stadium — normally home to the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs and their signature red-clad crowd — was awash in baby blue as thousands of traveling Argentine supporters turned the venue into a sea of their national colors. The atmosphere caught even Messi’s attention after the final whistle.
“I’m grateful to the people, because once again it shows that Argentina is always behind us,” Messi said postgame, in comments translated from Spanish. “We came back, we filled the stadium again. I don’t know if there were 80,000 people or more. Just thankful for all the effort they make, wherever we are they’re always there.”
Messi opened the scoring in the 17th minute with a clinical strike into the top right corner. After halftime, he added two more — first cleaning up a rebound, then finding the left corner with a precise finish to secure the hat trick and tie Klose’s all-time mark of 16 World Cup goals. One more goal and Messi will hold the outright record alone.
The win puts Argentina atop Group J with three points and firmly in control of its path through the group stage. Next up is Austria on Monday before the group finale against Jordan on June 27. If Messi keeps producing at this level, the defending champions will enter the knockout round as one of the clear favorites to lift the trophy in New Jersey next month.
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