It was a day packed with football’s biggest stars, but Lionel Messi still found a way to own the spotlight.
Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland had already scored twice earlier in the day, giving the World Cup two major storylines before Argentina even took the field. Then Messi turned it into his night.
The 38 year old scored his first World Cup hat trick, matched the all time tournament scoring record with his 16th goal and showed again that age has not taken away his influence.
Argentina beat Algeria 3 0 in Kansas City, and Messi shaped almost every key moment.
Messi writes more history for Argentina
As the sun dropped behind the Kansas City skyline, Messi became the first man to play at six World Cups. He reached that mark one day before Cristiano Ronaldo could do the same.
The match came exactly 20 years after Messi made his World Cup debut as an 18 year old at Germany 2006. On his 200th appearance for Argentina, he looked sharp, confident and fully in control.
There was one nervous moment after his first goal when his studs caught the top of Aissa Mandi’s heel just after the half hour mark. Referee Szymon Marciniak and VAR decided not to take further action, and Messi went on to make Algeria pay.
After the game, Messi said sharing the moment with his family, team mates and closest supporters made it special.
“To enjoy this with my family, with my team mates, the ones who are always there, is a really beautiful moment,” he said.
“The squad is very united, very strong. I feel good; we were lucky enough to win a tough match. It’s important to start with a win in the first game.
“I’m grateful to the fans, because once again they’ve shown that Argentina is crazy about this. We packed the stadium again.
“Everything I’m experiencing now is a bonus. I’ve been fortunate enough to achieve all my dreams, or even more than I ever dreamed of achieving, both professionally and personally.”
Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni also praised his captain.
“I don’t have the words to describe Messi,” Scaloni said. “For 20 years, he has had us used to seeing things like this and he inspires everyone who watches him play.”
Early warning before the opening goal
There was a sign of what was coming after only four minutes. Messi ran through and beat Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane, but the goal was ruled out for offside.
Argentina supporters still celebrated wildly, while many inside the stadium had the same feeling. Messi’s moment seemed only delayed.
It arrived in the 18th minute. From 25 yards out, he shifted the ball onto his left foot and curled a powerful shot toward the top right corner.
Zidane, the son of France great Zinedine Zidane, got both hands to the strike but could not keep it out. Kansas City Stadium erupted as Messi celebrated his 14th World Cup goal with visible emotion.
Former Everton midfielder Leon Osman said Messi celebrated as if it was his first goal at the tournament. He also noted that Messi still looks almost untouched by time, finishing with the quality everyone expects from him.
Two decades after his first World Cup appearance, and now in a record 27th match at the tournament, Messi continued to read the game faster than everyone around him. He kept scanning, moving and finding space, always one pass ahead.
Second goal moves Messi closer to another record
Messi struck again after 60 minutes. Zidane made a costly mistake and the ball rolled into the Argentine’s path. Messi stayed calm and passed it into the net.
That goal moved him within one of becoming joint top scorer in World Cup history. It also made him the oldest player ever to score twice in a World Cup match.
His numbers since turning 35 remain remarkable. Messi has scored 10 World Cup goals in that period alone, more than Harry Kane, Diego Maradona, Cristiano Ronaldo and Thierry Henry each managed across their entire World Cup careers.
Hat trick puts Messi level with Klose
The historic moment came in the 76th minute. Substitute Nico Gonzalez set him up, and Messi completed his hat trick with another composed finish.
That goal took him level with Germany’s Miroslav Klose at the top of the all time World Cup finals scoring chart.
Messi raised his arms, looked to the sky and soaked in the noise from thousands of Argentina fans singing his name. Even for a player who has lived through so many huge nights, this one felt different.
When he was substituted, the entire stadium rose to applaud him. His name continued to echo around Kansas City long after he had left the pitch.
Even after the final whistle, many Argentina fans stayed in the stands. Drums kept beating, blue and white shirts filled the stadium, and Messi was the only name people wanted to talk about.
Some supporters wore his name on their shirts. Others showed tattoos of him. To many of them, he is more than a footballer. They called him a hero, an idol and one of their own.
Messi led Argentina to the World Cup title four years ago. On this evidence, few would dismiss another deep run.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was also in the stadium, watching Messi like everyone else. On a day full of global names, the Argentine still stood above the rest.
Debate continues over Messi challenge
The night could have changed completely in the first half when Messi caught Mandi during a challenge while Argentina led 1 0.
His studs appeared to come down the back of Mandi’s calf, but Marciniak and VAR did not decide that the incident deserved more punishment.
Former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha told ESPN that he felt Messi should have been sent off.
“It should have been a red card,” Onuoha said. “The moment was missed. When the player was on the floor, you could see Messi had a level of concern because he had done something that could get him in trouble.”
Former France and Arsenal striker Thierry Henry had a different view on Fox Sports.
“Intent is very important when you analyse these situations properly,” Henry said.
“When you watch it again, you can clearly see that Lionel Messi is focused on the ball and trying to make a football action, not trying to hurt anyone.
“Yes, there is contact. Yes, it looks awkward. But not every collision is a red card.”
