Lionel Messi led Argentina to a convincing win over Algeria after scoring a hat-trick in his side's opening 2026 World Cup match, setting another landmark in the tournament.
According to widely cited international reports after the game, the Argentina captain became the oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick and also moved level with the competition's all-time scoring record.
Messi's treble gave Argentina an ideal start in the group stage, with the veteran forward once again becoming the biggest storyline of the match.