Argentina’s men’s national football team beat Algeria 3-0 in its 2026 World Cup opener, with a hat trick by superstar Lionel Messi. The Albiceleste became the first South American team to secure three points in the tournament.

The game started as a closely contested match, with the team coached by Lionel Scaloni maintaining possession with its rival pressing high to hound the Albiceleste. In the first ten minutes, both teams already had goals disallowed for offside. 

The Argentine captain scored the opening goal after De Paul found him free in the middle of the pitch in the 16th minute. The Rosario-born star opened up a gap for a shot and put it in the top left corner from outside the box, the only goal of the first half.

Argentina took control of the game in the second half, nullifying Algeria’s attacks and dominating possession.

Messi extended Argentina’s lead to 2-0 at the 60-minute mark, tapping in a rebound after a shot by midfielder Alexis Mac Allister.

Just 15 minutes later, the Argentine captain picked up the ball at the edge of the area. After dribbling to his left, he opened a gap to slot the ball into the bottom-right corner for his third goal of the match.

With Tuesday’s goals, Messi reached the mark of 120 goals with the national team, tying the all-time World Cup goal-scoring record, held by Germany’s Miroslav Klose (16).

“I’m feeling very well,” said the Argentine star, who was subbed off in the 80th minute. “It’s never easy to play the first game in a World Cup; the first half was tough, but we pushed through and extended the advantage in the second.”

Messi thanked the fans, who “once again demonstrated Argentines are crazy” with chants throughout the match.

“Wherever we play, they’re always there, be it Qatar or here,” he said. “I know they make a huge effort to do it, so I hope they can enjoy this as we do.”

Scaloni, for his part, said that despite what the result might say, it was a “tough match.” “The first match is always tricky, so it goes a long way mentally. Winning makes things easier from now on.”

The national team coach said he was “speechless” about Messi’s performance.

“He’s been doing these things for 20 years now,” he said. “I think every football fan wants to watch him, not just Argentina fans. You have to enjoy him on the pitch, because what he does is incredible.”

With his three goals, Messi became the oldest World Cup goal scorer for Argentina. The development came 20 years to the day from the moment he became the youngest to do it, with his goal against Serbia and Montenegro in the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

The game was played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, where Argentina will play two of its World Cup group stage games. With a capacity for 73,000 spectators, it is regularly the home to the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs.

Cover Photo: Selección Argentina Twitter