Argentina vs Algeria: Winners & losers - Messi equals Klose's World Cup record

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GOAL

·17 June 2026

Argentina vs Algeria: Winners & losers - Messi equals Klose's World Cup record

Lionel Messi delivered a hat-trick as Argentina opened their World Cup title defence with a commanding 3-0 victory over Algeria in Kansas City. The 39-year-old equaled Miroslav Klose's all-time World Cup scoring record with his three goals, while both teams had efforts ruled out for offside in a frantic opening ten minutes. GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from Argentina v Algeria.

Winners

Lionel Messi (Argentina)

Lionel Messi produced a match-defining hat-trick to lead Argentina to a comfortable World Cup opener victory. His three goals took his all-time World Cup tally to 16, equaling Miroslav Klose's record. At 39, he became the first player to appear in six World Cups while reaching such a historic milestone.

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Messi opened the scoring at 17 minutes with a left-footed strike from the edge of the box after receiving from Rodrigo De Paul. He doubled the lead at 60 minutes by pouncing on Luca Zidane's parry of Alexis Mac Allister's shot, before completing his hat-trick at 76 minutes with another left-footed finish assisted by Nico González.

Beyond the goals, Messi orchestrated Argentina's attacking play with intelligent movement between the lines, also having a goal disallowed for marginal offside at 5 minutes and forcing saves at 51 and 66 minutes. He departed at 80 minutes to a standing ovation, having single-handedly secured Argentina's three points in their title defence opener.

Rodrigo De Paul (Argentina)

Rodrigo De Paul provided the assist for Argentina's crucial opening goal, releasing Lionel Messi with a pass that allowed the captain to run at Algeria's defence and finish from the edge of the box at 17 minutes. His contribution set the tone for Argentina's commanding performance in Kansas City.

De Paul combined excellent work rate with defensive responsibility throughout, contributing recoveries and interceptions while also initiating attacking transitions from midfield. His understanding with Messi, developed through their time together at Inter Miami, was evident in their combinations across the pitch.

As part of Argentina's controlling midfield alongside Enzo Fernández and Alexis Mac Allister, De Paul helped his side dominate possession and dictate the tempo. His complete performance—creation, ball retention, and defensive contribution—illustrated why he remains central to Lionel Scaloni's World Cup-winning core.

Loser

Luca Zidane (Algeria)

Luca Zidane endured a difficult World Cup debut, conceding three goals despite making several saves throughout the match. Playing with a protective mask following a mandibular fracture, the goalkeeper was beaten three times by Messi as Algeria's defensive hopes crumbled in their return to the tournament.

Zidane made good stops from Lautaro Martínez's headers at 4 and 54 minutes, and denied Messi at 66 minutes. However, his handling proved costly when he parried Alexis Mac Allister's 60th-minute shot directly into Messi's path, allowing the Argentine to convert the rebound for Argentina's second goal.

While Zidane's distribution under pressure was adequate, the manner of the goals conceded—particularly the second—overshadowed his positive interventions. Algeria needed their goalkeeper to stand firm against the reigning champions, but he could not prevent Argentina's attacking quality from deciding the contest.