Lionel Messi makes history in Argentina's world cup opener against Algeria

Argentina secured a 3-0 victory against Algeria in their 2026 World Cup opening match held in Kansas. Lionel Messi, marking his 200th appearance for the national team, scored a hat-trick to lead his side to victory. With these three goals, Messi reached 16 total World Cup goals, tying Miroslav Klose's record as the top scorer in the tournament's history. The 39-year-old also became the first player to compete in six different World Cup final tournaments, extending his record to 27 total appearances. During the game, Messi was visibly emotional after scoring the first goal, later clarifying that the tears were due to personal matters unrelated to football. Messi's performance included six attempts on goal and saw him become the oldest player to record a hat-trick in a World Cup finals match. The match also featured an disallowed goal for Algeria by Chaibi.