Kansas City/New York/New Jersey. Lionel Messi produced a masterclass on Tuesday night, scoring the first hat-trick of the 2026 FIFA World Cup as defending champions Argentina opened their title defence with a commanding 3-0 victory over Algeria.
The 39-year-old captain delivered a vintage performance in Kansas City, becoming the first player to score three goals in this year’s tournament.
The feat also saw him draw level with German legend Miroslav Klose on 16 World Cup goals, the highest tally in the competition’s history.
Messi struck early to settle Argentine nerves before adding a second shortly after the break.
He completed his hat-trick in the 77th minute with a trademark finish that left the Algerian defence helpless.
The performance marked Messi’s first World Cup hat-trick and helped Argentina make a perfect start in Group J.
It also reinforced his status as one of the tournament’s leading attractions despite appearing in a record sixth World Cup.
Argentina controlled possession throughout the match and rarely looked troubled by an Algerian side that struggled to create meaningful opportunities.
Speaking after the match, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni praised his captain’s contribution, describing him as an extraordinary player who continues to defy expectations.
Earlier in the day, Kylian Mbappé inspired France to a 3-1 victory over Senegal in their opening Group I fixture.
After a frustrating first half, the French captain took control of the contest following the interval.
Mbappé scored twice and became France’s all-time leading goalscorer with 58 international goals, surpassing Olivier Giroud’s previous record.
His first goal broke the deadlock in the 66th minute before he added another deep into stoppage time to secure the result for Les Bleus.
The win gave France an ideal start to their World Cup campaign and underlined their credentials as one of the favourites for the title.
Mbappé’s brace also moved him further up the list of the competition’s all-time scorers.
Norway also began their tournament in emphatic fashion with a 4-1 victory over Iraq.
Erling Haaland led the charge, scoring twice as the Scandinavian side overwhelmed their opponents.
Norway’s attacking display placed them alongside France at the top of Group I after the opening round of matches.
The results ensured that three of football’s biggest stars dominated the headlines on a memorable day at the World Cup.
Messi delivered history with the tournament’s first hat-trick. Mbappé set a new national scoring record for France.
Haaland announced Norway’s return to the global stage with a clinical performance.
With the group stage now under way, all three players have sent an early warning to their rivals that they intend to play leading roles in the race for football’s biggest prize.
