Lionel Messi scored the first World Cup hat trick of his career and moved level with Miroslav Klose atop the tournament's all-time scoring chart as defending champion Argentina cruised to a 3-0 victory over Algeria in its opening Group J match on Tuesday night.
Messi struck his first goal within minutes of kickoff after being set up by his Inter Miami teammate Rodrigo De Paul. He added a second goal early in the second half before completing his hat trick shortly before being substituted, receiving a standing ovation from a crowd dominated by Argentina supporters.
The goals came exactly 20 years after Messi made his World Cup debut against Serbia and Montenegro, a match in which he also scored. His tally now stands at 16 World Cup goals, matching the career record held by Germany's Miroslav Klose.
The victory gave Argentina a far smoother start than it experienced at the previous World Cup in Qatar. In 2022, La Albiceleste suffered a shock defeat to Saudi Arabia in their opening match before recovering to win their third world title.
Messi, who will turn 39 next week, showed no signs of the minor hamstring problem that had raised concerns before the tournament. He came close to scoring two more goals against Algeria. One effort found the net but was ruled out for a marginal offside decision, while another shot in the second half sailed just over the crossbar.
The Argentine captain also contributed defensively as Argentina comfortably contained an Algerian side that struggled to create meaningful opportunities.
Algeria's best chance came in the opening minutes when Fares Chaibi appeared to score, only for a VAR review to rule the goal out for offside. Moments later, Messi opened the scoring, and Argentina went on to control the match.
The game at Arrowhead Stadium carried special significance for Kansas City's soccer community, fulfilling a long-held vision of the late Lamar Hunt. Hunt, founder of the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs, played a major role in the growth of soccer in the United States from the 1960s through the early 2000s and helped bring the 1994 World Cup to the country.
His sons, Clark Hunt and Dan Hunt, have also been actively involved in preparations for this World Cup.
Among the spectators on a pleasant evening in Kansas City were Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his wife Brittany. Mahomes traded his familiar red-and-yellow football attire for a blue sweatsuit and white shirt while watching the match.
Argentina will continue its bid for consecutive World Cup titles when it faces Austria in Arlington, Texas, on Monday before taking on Jordan on June 27.
Algeria will play Jordan in Santa Clara, California, on Monday and then meet Austria in its final Group J match on June 27 in Kansas City.