Kansas City (USA), 17 June (LaPresse/AP) – World champions Argentina beat Algeria 3–0 in their opening World Cup match. Lionel Messi scored his first hat-trick in World Cup history, thereby equalling Miroslav Klose’s record for goals scored in the competition and treating the thousands of Argentine fans at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City to an unforgettable moment. Messi opened the scoring in the 17th minute thanks to an assist from his Inter Miami team-mate Rodrigo De Paul. The second goal came in the 60th minute after capitalising on a favourable rebound, and the third with a precise finish in the 76th minute. The player then left the pitch to the applause of the crowd. This extraordinary performance came exactly twenty years after Messi’s World Cup debut against Serbia. The Rosario-born star has thus become the second player to score in five different editions of the World Cup.
2026 World Cup: Argentina 3–0 Algeria, historic hat-trick by Messi
Kansas City (USA), 17 June (LaPresse/AP) – World champions Argentina beat Algeria 3–0 in their opening World Cup match. Lionel Messi scored his first hat-trick in World Cup history, thereby equalling Miroslav Klose’s record for goals scored in the competition and treating the thousands of Argentine fans at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City to an unforgettable moment. Messi opened the scoring in the 17th minute thanks to an assist from his Inter Miami team-mate Rodrigo De Paul. The second goal came in the 60th minute after capitalising on a favourable rebound, and the third with a precise finish in the 76th minute. The player then left the pitch to the applause of the crowd. This extraordinary performance came exactly twenty years after Messi’s World Cup debut against Serbia. The Rosario-born star has thus become the second player to score in five different editions of the World Cup.
