Lionel Messi scored his first-ever World Cup hat trick on Tuesday, leading defending champions Argentina to a 3-0 win over Algeria in their Group J opener at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. The 38-year-old did it on his 200th appearance for Argentina, in his sixth World Cup, and in the process tied the all-time men's World Cup scoring record.
The hat trick came 15 years after his first World Cup goal. That's the context that matters here — Messi has been chasing this tournament for nearly two decades, and he's still writing the story.
Why This Hat Trick Is a Historic Moment
Messi has scored 61 career hat tricks. He's scored them in La Liga, in the Champions League, in Ligue 1, in MLS, in Copa America, in friendlies. But never in the World Cup — until Tuesday night. Not in 2006, not in 2010, not in 2014 when he dragged Argentina to the final, not in 2018, not even in 2022 when he lifted the trophy. He needed six tournaments to get one. And when it came, it came with the weight of history attached.
At 38 years and 357 days old, Messi became the oldest player to score a World Cup hat trick, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo's record from 2018 (33 years old). He's now the first Argentine to score in five consecutive World Cup matches, passing Hernan Crespo and Guillermo Stabile. And with the three goals, he matched Miroslav Klose's all-time men's World Cup record of 16 goals.
The hat trick also gave Messi 10 World Cup goals since turning 35. No player has ever been this productive at this age in the tournament's history.
The Goals: De Paul's Pass, Mac Allister's Rebound, Gonzalez's Setup
Messi had a goal disallowed in the eighth minute for offside. Algeria nearly struck first themselves when Fares Chaibi had a goal called back for the same reason. Then, in the 17th minute, Messi took over.
Rodrigo De Paul played a cutting through ball into Messi in the pocket. From the edge of the box, Messi shaped a bending strike past Algerian goalkeeper Luca Zidane — the son of France legend Zinedine Zidane — into the top-right corner. It was vintage Messi: receive, set, shoot at the far post with precision.
The second came in the 60th minute. Alexis Mac Allister's low effort was parried by Zidane, and Messi reacted first, tucking home the rebound with his right foot from close range. A poacher's finish from a player who spent years being told he didn't score enough of those.
The third, in the 76th minute, was the signature moment. Messi exchanged passes with Nico Gonzalez on the edge of the box and curled a trademark left-footed finish into the bottom-left corner. Zidane had no chance. Three minutes later, Messi was subbed off to a standing ovation from the crowd of 69,045. He looked like he wanted to stay on the pitch.
What This Means for Argentina's Title Defense
Argentina's opening match scare in 2022 — the infamous 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia — did not repeat itself. This was a statement performance from the defending champions, and it came in front of Patrick Mahomes, who watched from the stands as Messi delivered the kind of performance that Kansas City fans will remember for decades.
Algeria, the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations champions, had Riyad Mahrez on the bench and struggled to create meaningful chances. They showed early promise through Chaibi and had a spell of pressure in the first half, but Argentina's midfield trio of Enzo Fernandez, Mac Allister, and De Pau l controlled the game after Messi's opener. Algeria never really threatened a comeback.
Messi led the match with six shots and created two chances, more than any other player for either side. He was substituted in the 79th minute, likely being saved for Argentina's next group match as they aim to become only the third team to successfully defend a World Cup title.
The defending champions are off and running. Messi has his first World Cup hat trick. He needs one more goal to hold the all-time record outright. And he's doing all of this on 200 caps, at 38, in a World Cup where every game could be his last for Argentina.
That is why this hat trick matters.
Cole Donovan
Cole Donovan writes practical sports coverage with a focus on team form, game context, and the small details that can shape each matchup.