Overview
- Argentina defeated Algeria 3-0 in Kansas City with Lionel Messi scoring all three goals and equaling Miroslav Klose’s World Cup total of 16 goals.
- Messi’s performance added multiple milestones: he played in a sixth World Cup, became the oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick, and reached his 200th match for Argentina.
- Cameras captured Messi in tears during the match and he later said the emotion was related to a recent personal matter unrelated to football.
- The win produced widespread reaction, including an estimated 10,000 fans gathering in Kansas City, large groups in Times Square and viral memes and commentary across social media.
- The match shifts attention to Argentina’s next group game against Austria on June 22, and it occurred alongside tournament-wide stories such as big payouts and losses on Polymarket after Spain’s draw with Cape Verde.