Argentina 3-0 Algeria: Messi runs the show on record-breaking night | OneFootball

Lionel Messi marked his 200th appearance for Argentina with his first-ever FIFA World Cup hat-trick that sealed a 3-0 win against Algeria, exactly 20 years on from his tournament debut.

The 38-year-old – who also became the first player in history to appear at six FIFA World Cup tournaments – tucked home at the near post with just five minutes on the clock in Kansas City, but his goal was denied for offside.

It woke Algeria up and Farès Chaibi looked to have put the Desert Warriors ahead just moments later, though he too suffered the same fate and saw his strike chalked off for offside.

An electric start to this Group J clash saw Messi and Farès Chaibi both denied by the offside flag inside the opening 10 minutes, but the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner netted a long-range effort not long after to put the Albiceleste on course for victory.

Messi added his second goal on the hour mark, becoming the oldest player to score a FIFA World Cup brace, and he completed his first-ever hat-trick in the competition in the 76th minute to move level with Miroslav Klose as the tournament’s all-time top goalscorer.

Argentina face Austria on Monday 22 June, while Algeria turn their attention to facing Jordan.

As it happened

Argentina looked to become the first South American side to take the lead at the 2026 FIFA World Cup when, with just five minutes on the clock in Kansas City, Lionel Messi tucked home a near-post finish from close range after being teed up by Lautaro Martínez.

But the former Barcelona forward would see his celebrations brought to an abrupt halt by the offside flag, having strayed into an illegal position in the buildup to what would have been his 118th goal for the Albiceleste on his landmark 200th appearance.

Bad turned to worse for Lionel Scaloni’s men three minutes later when a well-weighted ball from Ibrahim Maza saw Farès Chaibi played through on goal, squeezing his effort between the near post and Emi Martínez – only to see his strike denied for offside, too.

A frenetic, end-to-end start to this Group J clash did eventually see Argentina begin to take control of the possession and the reigning world champions made it count with a little over 15 minutes played.

Picked out in space by Rodrigo de Paul, Messi danced towards the edge of the box and whipped a thumping effort towards the far corner – and while goalkeeper Luca Zidane managed to get both hands to it, the 28-year-old could only watch as it rippled the net.

That goal did stand, but if you were hoping that the opener would open the floodgates, you’d be sorely disappointed.

The game fell into something of a lull for the remainder of the half, with both sides only generating 0.1xG between Messi’s strike and the half-time whistle.

But after a stronger start to the second half that saw him threaten to register an assist as Lautaro Martínez saw his strike pushed away from danger by Zidane, Messi doubled his personal tally to put Argentina in complete control of this Group J clash.

Zidane – the son of the legendary Zinedine – failed to stop Alexis Mac Allister’s low driven strike from range, allowing Messi to arrive in the box, pick up the pieces and slot home one of the easier goals of his career with his ‘weaker’ – if we can even call it that – right foot.

Messi, who has scored ten international hat-tricks throughout his illustrious Albiceleste career but never achieved the feat at a FIFA World Cup, now needed just one more goal to move level with Miroslav Klose as the tournament’s all-time top goalscorer [16].

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner achieved both feats in the 76th minute, dribbling into the Algerian half before playing a one-two with Nicolas González and creeping further towards goal, shifting onto his preferred left foot and curling beyond a diving Zidane.

It would prove to be his last contribution of the night, with Scaloni opting to take him off to rapturous applause three minutes later.

Argentina analysis: Messi stars in milestone appearance

A little under four years ago, Lionel Messi lifted the FIFA World Cup trophy above his head in Qatar – and as the Albiceleste look to become just the third nation to win back-to-back FIFA World Cups, the 38-year-old is playing a starring role.

Exactly two decades on from his debut in the competition – which saw him score the first of his 15 goals on the world stage in a 6-0 thrashing of Serbia and Montenegro – the little boy from Rosario made history, becoming the first player to ever appear at six FIFA World Cup tournaments.

And his 200th appearance for the senior national team almost got off to the perfect start in Kansas City when he rippled the back of the net from close range, only to be flagged offside as he began to wheel away in celebration.

But there was always going to be a breakthrough, a magical moment that would let the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner craft something from nothing. And we weren’t kept waiting for too long, as the former Barcelona man picked up possession in midfield with 17 minutes on the clock, weaved forward through a sea of bodies and picked out the top corner with aplomb from long range.

He wasn’t done there either. His second finish – admittedly not quite as exciting as his first – came on the hour mark as he pounced upon Luca Zidane’s poor save, slotting home with his ‘weaker’ right foot.

And more history was made in the 76th minute, as a curling finish from the edge of the box saw Messi complete his first-ever FIFA World Cup hat-trick, moving level with Miroslav Klose as the tournament’s all-time top goalscorer [16] in the process.

Messi will celebrate his 39th birthday before Argentina’s final group stage game, and while he shows no signs at all of slowing down, it’s a stark reminder that this is likely to be his last appearance at a FIFA World Cup.

So drink it in – because rarely, if ever, will we see a player like him again.