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Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, cruised to a 3-0 victory over Algeria in Kansas City on Tuesday evening.

The defending World Cup champions began their campaign in the United States’ Midwest with an emphatic display, setting the tone for their title defence.

The South American side, known as La Albiceleste, had their talismanic captain to thank for the dominant win, as the 38-year-old maestro netted all three goals for Argentina on the night.

Algeria nearly took an early lead when Fares Chaibi found the net past Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, but the goal was chalked off after VAR determined the Algerian forward had strayed offside.

Not long after, Rodrigo De Paul unlocked the Algerian defence with a precise through ball to Messi, who turned sharply and struck from distance—an action that has defined his glittering career for nearly two decades.

By taking the field in Kansas City, Messi set a new record with his appearance at a sixth World Cup Finals. Yet, he was far from finished making history.

Having already scored in four of his previous five tournaments—South Africa 2010 being the sole exception—Messi’s 17th-minute opener was merely the beginning of an unforgettable evening.

Early in the second half, Messi doubled Argentina’s advantage, pouncing quickest on a loose ball spilled by Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane. The goal brought him to within one strike of matching Miroslav Klose’s all-time World Cup scoring record.

Klose, who netted 16 goals for Germany’s Die Mannschaft, has held the record for 12 years. But Messi drew level on Tuesday night, completing his hat-trick with 15 minutes remaining. Collecting the ball at the edge of the box, he shifted it onto his famed left foot and guided it into the bottom corner from 18 yards out with trademark precision.

With this performance, Messi now stands poised to surpass Klose and become the all-time leading scorer in FIFA World Cup history.

He also surged to the top of the 2026 tournament’s Golden Boot race, positioning himself as the frontrunner for the award.

Messi’s treble marked the first hat-trick of this World Cup, following a series of braces from Elijah Just (New Zealand), Erling Haaland (Norway), Folarin Balogun (USA), Yasin Ayari (Sweden), Kai Havertz (Germany), and Kylian Mbappe (France).

In addition, Messi became the first active Major League Soccer player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup match, and the oldest player in the tournament’s history to record both a brace and a hat-trick.

Argentina’s upcoming fixtures will see them face Austria on Monday, June 22, followed by Jordan on Sunday, June 28—both matches offering Messi the chance to break Klose’s historic record once and for all.