World Cup Desk: Defending champions Argentina kicked off their World Cup campaign with a commanding 3-0 victory over Algeria in their Group J opener at the Kansas City Stadium.
The headlines, however, belonged entirely to one man—Lionel Messi—who single-handedly dismantled the opposition by scoring all three goals for the Albiceleste.
In doing so, the Argentine maestro finally secured his first-ever career World Cup hat-trick. This exceptional feat also marks Messi’s 11th international hat-trick, breaking new ground in world football.
Messi’s masterclass against Algeria did not just secure three points; it completely rewrote the football record books while leaving him on the precipice of even greater historic milestones.
Prior to this match, the record for the oldest player to score a hat-trick in FIFA World Cup history was held by his eternal rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, who set the benchmark at the 2018 Russia World Cup with his iconic treble against Spain.
At 38 years old, Messi has officially shattered that record at the Kansas City Stadium, claiming the title for himself.
Furthermore, Messi and Ronaldo previously shared the world record for the most international hat-tricks in football history, tied at 10 each.
With this breathtaking performance, Messi now stands alone at the absolute peak with 11 international hat-tricks.
The football wizard is also on the verge of claiming two more jaw-dropping global records.
Thanks to his three goals against Algeria, the Argentine superstar has surged up the World Cup scoring charts. He now needs just one more goal to become the standalone all-time top scorer in World Cup history.
Additionally, Messi is just one assist away from making history on another front.
If he provides one more direct goal assist, he will surpass the legendary Diego Maradona—with whom he is currently tied at 8 assists—to become the player with the most assists in World Cup history.