June 17, 2026 / 6:09 AM EDT
/ AP
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Kansas City, Mo. — Lionel Messi used the front of his white-and-blue, sweat-soaked jersey to wipe the tears from his eyes, a flood of emotions cracking his usually calm, confident demeanor after he gave Argentina an early lead in its 2026 Men's World Cup opener against Algeria.Then he scored again. And again. Suddenly, any questions about Messi's hamstring injury, or whether he could help Argentina become the third team to win consecutive World Cups - even as his 39th birthday approaches next week - had been answered. With a brilliant hat trick in a 3-0 win over Les Fennecs, Messi moved into a tie with Germany's Miroslav Klose for the career scoring record at the Men's World Cup.
Lionel Messi. right, celebrates the third goal in his first World Cup hat trick with Argentina teammate Rodrigo De Paul in Kansas City Stadium on June 16, 2026.
