Argentina beat Algeria 3-0 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, with captain Messi scoring a hat-trick to open their 2026 World Cup Group J campaign in emphatic fashion. A crowd of 69,045 fans turned the stands blue and white, and the defending champions' classic striped shirts looked especially sharp under the floodlights—the kit, the captain's armband, and the applause as they walked off were nearly as eye-catching as the three goals.
Messi became the first player in history to appear at six World Cups. Within eight minutes of kickoff, goals for both sides were ruled offside, Chaibi's low shot tested Emi Martinez, and the tempo remained tight for a stretch. In the 17th minute, De Paul played a pinpoint through ball and Messi struck from the edge of the box with his left foot into the corner, 1-0. In the first half, Argentina had 48% possession with 10 shots and 6 on target; Algeria held 52% possession but managed seven shots without one on target, and their 92% passing accuracy never translated into a threat.
After the interval, the champions played with greater directness. In the 60th minute, Mac Allister's shot from distance caused goalkeeper Luca Zidane to spill the ball, and Messi finished from close range; in the 76th minute, Nicolas Gonzalez swept a cross across the face of goal and Messi slid in low to complete his hat-trick, moving level with Klose on 16 goals as joint all-time top scorers at the World Cup. Zidane had earlier made a flying one-handed save to deny Messi a sure header, and Mahrez's free kick struck the wall before the final whistle—a snapshot of Algeria's frustration all night.
Expected goals stood at 1.23 to 0.31, with six shots on target to nil—the numbers show Argentina prevailed on efficiency in the penalty area, not on possession stats. FIFA-ranked third versus 28th in the world, Argentina have won 14 of their last 16 matches across all competitions; Algeria’s record of just one win in 10 World Cup games since 1982 rolls on. In the 80th minute, Messi and Romero were withdrawn by Scaloni; the captain left the field to thunderous applause, with substitutes Paz and Otamendi seeing out the remainder. In the second round of the group stage, whether the defending champions can sustain this title-winning form remains one to watch.
