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Argentina Player Ratings vs Algeria: Lionel Messi’s Historic Hat-Trick Equals All-Time World Cup Goals Record as Defending Champions Dominate

KANSAS CITY, Missouri — Argentina’s World Cup title defence began with tension before Lionel Messi reminded the world why he remains football’s ultimate icon. The 38-year-old captain netted a stunning hat-trick in a 3-0 triumph over Algeria in front of 69,045 spectators at Kansas City Stadium. With those three goals, Messi moved level with Miroslav Klose on 16 career World Cup goals, though Klose achieved that mark in fewer appearances.

Argentina’s opening 15 minutes were filled with nerves. Ironically, Messi had already beaten Algeria’s goalkeeper Luca Zidane once earlier, but a sharp counterattack was nullified in the fifth minute when Lautaro Martínez’s poorly timed pass left Messi offside. Algeria then nearly punished that lapse moments later.

The Algerians countered swiftly as Farès Chaïbi latched onto a pass from Ibrahim Maza and slotted past Emiliano Martínez. However, their joy was short-lived as VAR ruled Chaïbi offside in the eighth minute. After two early scares, both sides settled down, probing for opportunities to break the deadlock.

“They did everything possible. Their reaction in the first half was excellent,” said Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni through a translator.

Then Messi took charge.

Rodrigo De Paul, Messi’s Inter Miami teammate, delivered a perfectly timed through ball between two Algerian defenders, setting up Messi in full stride. As two more defenders closed in, Messi unleashed a right-footed strike into the top-right corner to give Argentina a 1-0 lead. In doing so, the veteran magician added yet another milestone to his glittering career.

“It’s hard to describe. We’re still in awe of him, even though we see him every single day,” Scaloni remarked.

Even Algeria’s coach, Vladimir Petković, acknowledged Messi’s brilliance, though he insisted his team’s performance deserved more.

“Class is permanent,” he said. “We’re not talking about an ordinary footballer. He’s an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner. Sadly, we gave him chances for the first and second goals. He’s got the advantage of having an entire Argentina team working for him. Argentina had ten shots—seven of them from Messi.”

This marked Messi’s fifth World Cup in which he has scored, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of his first World Cup goal. According to Opta, he and De Paul also became only the fifth pair of MLS players to combine for a goal in a World Cup match, with the previous four pairs all representing the USMNT. The goal was also the 911th of Messi’s career for club and country—one destined to be remembered.

“He’s been the best for two decades. You don’t have to be Argentine to appreciate what he’s still doing at 38,” Scaloni added.

Messi’s dominance continued into the second half. Alexis Mac Allister’s long-range strike was parried by Zidane, only for Messi to pounce on the rebound. He then completed his first-ever World Cup hat-trick after Nicolas González picked him out inside the box, where Messi calmly finished with his left foot.

Although Algeria matched Argentina in possession, they struggled in attack. The North Africans managed seven shots but failed to test Emiliano Martínez even once.

GOAL provides Argentina’s player ratings from Kansas City Stadium:

Goalkeeper & Defence

Emiliano Martínez (7/10): Rarely troubled but excellent with his passing. His composure on the ball eased Argentina’s early nerves, and his precise long pass in the 59th minute led directly to Messi’s second goal.

Facundo Medina (7/10): Kept Algeria’s wingers quiet with disciplined defending. Offered little going forward but didn’t need to.

Cristian Romero (7/10): Solid at the back and part of a unit that didn’t concede a single shot on target.

Lisandro Martínez (8/10): Outstanding defensively, with four clearances, two tackles, and one interception to his name.

Gonzalo Montiel (7/10): Strong first half with five defensive contributions before being substituted at half-time as part of a planned rotation.

Midfield

Rodrigo De Paul (8/10): Displayed his trademark intensity and sharp passing. His perfectly weighted assist for Messi opened the scoring.

Enzo Fernández (7/10): Controlled the tempo with neat, composed passing that kept Argentina’s rhythm intact.

Alexis Mac Allister (7/10): His long-range effort led to Messi’s second goal. Balanced performance in both attack and defence.

Thiago Almada (6/10): Provided width and pace but lacked end product.

Attack

Lionel Messi (10/10): What more can be said? Any lingering questions about his greatness were silenced with this performance. Now level with Miroslav Klose atop the all-time World Cup scoring chart, Messi also earned his 17th career World Cup victory. He needs just one more goal to become the tournament’s outright top scorer and one more assist to surpass Diego Maradona’s World Cup assist record. We’re witnessing history at the 2026 World Cup.

Lautaro Martínez (5/10): Deputising for the recovering Julián Álvarez, he struggled throughout his 55 minutes and often hesitated between passing and shooting, failing to make an impact in attack.

Substitutes & Manager

Julián Álvarez (5/10): Still regaining match fitness and made little contribution.

Nicolás González (7/10): Came on for Almada and immediately assisted Messi’s third goal.

Nicolás Otamendi (6/10): Brought on to reinforce the defence and did so effectively.

Nico Paz (6/10): Added fresh energy late in the game and performed steadily.

Nahuel Molina (6/10): Replaced Montiel and maintained defensive stability.

Lionel Scaloni (8/10): While this was undoubtedly Messi’s night, Scaloni’s tactical changes in the second half ensured Argentina’s dominance. After a shaky opening, his team settled and displayed the composure expected of world champions. A fine start to their title defence and a reminder of why Argentina remain among the favourites.

How deep will Argentina go in this World Cup?