Overview
- Messi scored all three goals in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria at Arrowhead Stadium, delivering his first World Cup hat-trick and helping the defending champions start their title defense.
- The performance brought Messi to 16 career World Cup goals, level with Miroslav Klose on the men’s all-time scoring list and making him the oldest male player to record a World Cup hat-trick.
- Messi became the first male footballer to appear at six World Cups and played in front of a reported crowd of about 69,405 at Kansas City.
- After the match Messi said he had gone through 'some difficult days' unrelated to football and Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni confirmed that a prior hamstring concern did not prevent him from playing.
- The display drew widespread praise from fellow athletes and pundits and renewed discussion of Messi’s legacy while some coverage also noted his off-field profile, including reports of a roughly $50 million international real estate portfolio.