Messi hat-trick equals Klose record as Argentina open World Cup defence with 3-0 win over Algeria
Lionel Messi celebrated his 200th Argentina cap with a hat-trick that tied Miroslav Klose's all-time World Cup goal record, powering the defending champions past Algeria 3-0 in their Group J opener in Kansas City.
Opening exchanges
Both sides had goals disallowed for offside in a frenetic start. Messi was ruled offside in the fifth minute after finishing a Lautaro Martinez pass, and Algeria's Farès Chaibi saw his effort chalked off minutes later.
Messi opens his account
Rodrigo De Paul sliced a vertical pass to Messi, who advanced and fired past a hesitant Luca Zidane in the 17th minute. The goal was Messi's 14th in World Cup play and marked his 200th appearance for Argentina.
- 5' — Messi goal disallowed for offside
- 8' — Chaibi goal disallowed for offside
- 17' — Messi opens the scoring (1-0)
- 60' — Messi doubles the lead from a rebound (2-0)
- 76' — Messi completes hat-trick, equalling Klose's record (3-0)
Second-half control and the record
Alexis Mac Allister's long-range shot was parried by Zidane, and Messi pounced on the rebound to make it 2-0 on the hour. He completed his hat-trick in the 76th minute with a crisp strike into the corner, matching Miroslav Klose's 16-goal World Cup benchmark.
Algeria's struggles and Petkovic's choices
Algeria coach Vladimir Petkovic left captain Riyad Mahrez on the bench, opting for a pressing 4-4-2 that initially unsettled Argentina. After the early disallowed goal, the Fennecs failed to sustain pressure and rarely threatened Emiliano Martinez's goal.
Historical significance
Argentina became the first defending champion to win an opening World Cup match since Brazil did so in 1962. No nation has retained the trophy in 64 years. With three points, they top Group J ahead of Austria and Jordan.
