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Lionel Messi starred in the most memorable day of the by scoring his first hat-trick in a World Cup and leading Argentina to a convincing 3-0 victory over Algeria, in what was a day filled with emotions and goals throughout the tournament.
The Argentine star, 38 years old and in his sixth World Cup appearance, opened the scoring in the 17th minute with a curved shot following a defensive error by Algeria, doubled the lead in the 60th minute by capitalizing on a rebound from a shot by Alexis Mac Allister, and rounded off the tally in the 76th minute with a low shot from outside the box.
The hat-trick increased his record to 16 goals in World Cups, matching the historical men's record that was previously held solo by the German Miroslav Klose.
The match took place at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, and Argentina began its title defense strongly in Group J, where it leads with three points and a goal difference of +3.
Messi is not only the top scorer for the albiceleste national team in World Cups, but also the only player in the tournament's history to have scored in every round: group stage, round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final.
The event, however, was not solely the work of Rosario's genius. France made a strong debut by defeating Senegal 3-1 at MetLife Stadium in New York, thanks to a brace from Kylian Mbappé and a goal from Bradley Barcola; Ibrahim Mbaye scored a consolation goal for the Africans.
Norway, making its return to the World Cup after 28 years of absence, also delivered a high-voltage performance by thrashing 4-1 against Iraq at Gillette Stadium in Boston, with a brace from Erling Haaland in the 29th and 43rd minutes, along with goals from Leo Østigård and an own goal in added time.
Austria completed the scoring celebration by defeating 3-1 against Jordan at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, with goals from Schmid, Arnautović, and a Jordanian own goal, placing them second in Group J with three points and a +2 goal difference.
The day was, in the words of Multimedios Deportes, "a rain of goals with matches that sparked excitement at all times."
Messi arrives at this tournament in exceptional form: in the 2026 MLS season, he has scored 12 goals in 14 matches with Inter Miami, and he was the top scorer in the South American qualifiers with eight goals.
The next challenge for the defending champion Argentina will be on June 22 against Austria at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, in a match that could determine the lead of Group J and bring Messi closer to the tournament's all-time history.
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