Argentina superstar Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick in their Fifa World Cup opener against Algeria.
Lionel Messi scored a dazzling hat-trick for Argentina on Tuesday to equal Miroslav Klose's all-time record of 16 Fifa World Cup goals, as the defending champions swept Algeria aside 3-0.
On a night for the ages in Missouri, the records kept tumbling for Argentina's talisman. When the match kicked off at Arrowhead Stadium — home of the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs — the 38-year-old became the first player in football history to feature in six World Cup tournaments, marking the milestone on the occasion of his historic 200th international cap.
The Inter Miami forward lit up the occasion with a clinical, masterclass performance, producing a majestic opening goal from distance in the 17th minute to spark a frenzy among adoring fans who had turned the venue into a virtual home game. Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane — son of France icon Zinedine Zidane — got his hands to the fierce, curling effort but could not prevent it from flying into the net.
Argentina's captain netted his second after the interval, gobbling up a rebound from close range to move within one goal of Klose's benchmark. He then completed his first-ever World Cup hat-trick with an unstoppable finish in the 76th minute, before being substituted shortly afterwards by manager Lionel Scaloni to a rapturous standing ovation.
