FIFA World Cup 2026, Argentina vs Algeria Football highlights: Lionel Messi scores hat-trick for ARG

"We knew we were going to struggle, they’re a team that plays well. They did a great job, it was a very difficult match despite the final score. The first game is always tough; it affects you in some way. The setback from our first game in Qatar was still on our minds, but this result now gives us peace of mind heading into what’s next," Scaloni said after Argentina's 3-0 win over Algeria.

"I don’t have the words to describe Messi. For 20 years, he’s had us used to seeing things like this, and he inspires everyone who watches him play. We’re going to take it one game at a time. The team is happy; we gave playing time to a lot of players. Hopefully we can win the next one so everyone can be in the third group stage match".

Lionel Messi registered his first World Cup hat trick while moving into a tie for first on the tournament's career scoring list Tuesday night, sending defending champion Argentina to a dominant 3-0 victory over Algeria in its group-stage opener.

Messi scored his first goal in the opening minutes off a nifty feed from Inter Miami teammate Rodrigo De Paul, the second early in the second half, and the third moments before subbing out to a standing ovation from a heavily pro-Argentina crowd.

The goals came 20 years to the day that Messi made his World Cup debut for Argentina in a match against Serbia and Montenegro — he scored in that one, too — and gave him 16 for his career, putting him in a tie with Germany's Miroslav Klose for the career record.

They also helped Argentina get off to a better start than the last World Cup. Four years ago in Qatar, La Albiceleste were beaten by Saudi Arabia in their opening match, only to rally from there to win their third world title.

(Via The Associated Press)

Messi is taken off by Scaloni and you can hear the groan in the crowd at Kansas City. They want more, never mind that they have seen Messi score three goals. This is the first time that Messi has scored a hat-trick at a FIFA World Cup.

Nico Paz is in for Messi.

LIONEL MESSI HAT-TRICK! What a start to the title defence for Argentina. Three goals coming in from their talisman, Lionel Messi. And we're still on the 76th minute mark! So he can score a few more!

After that moment of magic for the 1st goal and the easy tap in for the 2nd goal, Messi scores the third by putting the finishing touch to a good build-up play. He uses his lethal left-foot to score the third of the night.

With that third goal, Messi has 16 World Cup goals, tying Miroslav Klose for the all-time mark

Who else, but Lionel Messi scores Argentina's second goal against Algeria! Compared the the first goal where he pulled a rabbit out of the hat, this one is the simplest he's probably scored for the nation. After Argentina work the ball in Algeria's half, one of the Argentine forwards shoots a low one at the goal. Luca Zidane falls down and cannot hold on to the ball, sending it back into play. Messi, who started the move on the right flank, is at hand to tap the ball in from point blank range.

After 60 minutes, two goals for Messi and two for Argentina

Lautaro Martinez has a good chance after being released on the right flank. He unleashes a low shot, but Algeria keeper saves!

Maybe he should have shot earlier on that ocassion, because his hesitation to shoot gave Enzo Zidane time to get into position.

After 50 minutes, Argentina 1-0 Algeria

Second half starting now in Kansas City with Argentina leading 1-0. And the man who scored the goal for the South Americans on his 200th appearance, is leading the team out for the second half, just as he did in the first half.

And we just noticed that before the game started there was a nice little reunion between close friends and former Argentina teammates.

With just one minute left for the half-time whistle, Algeria come attacking from the right flank and Anis Hadj Moussa takes a shot which finds a deflection and slows down before it gets to Martinez!

Half a minute later, Alexis Mac Allister has a shot of his own, but cannot find the net.

And with that we have the half-time whistle. Argentina lead 1-0, thanks to a moment of magic from Lionel Messi---who else?

Since the goal, Messi has been active in the heart of Argentina's attack. he's put a couple of through balls that he would have created a shot on goal at least. But on the first one, Enzo Fernandez floats a cross from the right flank t o no one in particular. And on the second, the forward Messi feeds runs into traffic and gives away the ball.

After 38 mins, Argentina 1-0 Algeria

So no much happening on the pitch at Kansas City after that goal from Messi. A bunch of fouls, including one from Messi, are the only highlights.

Algeria have never won a World Cup game after they have conceded the first goal. Can they change that tonight?

At the bottom of the TV screen we can see Messi just ambling around near the half way line. When the ball comes to him, he passes back to the defender on the wing. When the Algerian defender is bringing the ball out his box, Messi is in front of him, but barely walking towards the ball. He can seem uninterested in the game sometimes. And then, in the blink of an eye, he explodes and creates a piece of magic that you cannot believe.

Will today see such a moment?

MESSI SCORES! But the linesman raises his flag, it's offside. Tight call. But won't count. Five minutes in and we have an impact from Messi already! He received the ball on the right flank, cut in taking two touches and then hoodwinked Luca Zidane to score.

And just a couple of minutes before that, we had the sight of Messi doing something rare! Defending and winning the ball in his own half!

After 5 minutes, Argentina 0-0 Algeria

here we go! Messi's Last Dance begins now! Argentina get us off. The highlight of the game will be the 200-game veteran Lionel Messi taking on Zinedine Zidane's son Luca as he plays in goal for Algeria.

In case you missed it, here's Messi's arrival at the stadium to take on Algeria in what will be his 200th game for the national side

Here's a record that eludes Messi: Despite having featured at five editions of the World Cup (2006 to 2022 inclusive), Messi has never finished as the tournament’s top scorer.

Messi holds the distinction of being Argentina’s all-time leading marksman at the global showpiece, with 13 goals. He is followed in the standings by Gabriel Batistuta, who netted ten times at the World Cup.

Messi is also on top of Argentina’s World Cup appearance table. Actually, he's made the most number of World Cup caps than any other player of any nationality.

Here’s Algeria’s line up (4-4-2)

(Goalkeeper) Luca ZIDANE

(Defenders) Aissa MANDI-Rayan AIT-NOURI-Rafik BELGHALI-Ramy BENSEBAINI

(Midfielders) Fares CHAIBI-Hicham BOUDAOUI-Nabil Bentaleb-Ibrahim MAZA

(Forwards) Amine GOUIRI-Anis HADJ MOUSSA

The headline of that line up is that Zinedine Zidane's son, Luca, will be starting for Algeria.

The last image of Lionel Messi at the 2022 World Cup looked like the final frame of a film. In Lusail, under fireworks and gold confetti, he stood wrapped in a black bisht, the World Cup in his hands and Argentina at his feet. Messi had completed football. Or so it seemed.

Four years later, the story arrives at another strange crossroads. When the World Cup kicks off across the United States, Mexico and Canada – a sprawling, commercial, multilingual spectacle spread across a continent – Messi, rather improbably, will still be at the centre of it.

In Qatar, Messi played as though chased by destiny. Every touch carried urgency. Every match felt loaded with consequence. In 2026, there may instead be a strange freedom surrounding him. The burden has vanished because the story is already complete.

READ MIHIR VASAVDA'S PIECE

As we wait for the Argentina vs Algeria game to start, here's a Messi hype video shared by FIFA on their social media handles. The hashtag used by them is "One Last Dance". But knowing Messi, would you count out him playing in another World Cup four years later?

“What happened back in Qatar was just amazing. The whole country united,” recalled Messi's longtime national teammate, Nicolas Otamendi. “We have that engraved in our minds, and it's just injected us with the strength to keep trying. There's no relaxing. We need to keep working with that level of humility that is required in these types of competitions.”

There are few more humble superstars than Messi, whom Otamendi described as “simple man that just focuses on training.”

“He's also a competitive animal,” Otamendi said. “You want to be there with him, supporting him, serving him, and laughing our hearts out all the time. As I've said, when the ball is rolling, that's when you need to press, unite and come together as a family on the pitch.”

Algeria made the cut for the FIFA World Cup after a 12-year absence by finishing top of Group G in CAF qualifying, winning eight of their ten games. Striker Mohamed Amoura was in inspirational form during the preliminaries, outscoring everyone else in the continent with ten goals.

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the game between Argentina and Algeria from group J. Today, when Messi takes the field it will be his 200th game for Argentina, who are defending champions at the FIFA World Cup 2026.