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Lionel Messi signed the first hat-trick of his career in World Cups, and Argentina crushed Algeria 3-0 this Tuesday at the , marking the debut of the reigning world champions in Group J of the 2026 World Cup.
The match began with tension: in the eighth minute, Farid Chaibi scored for Algeria, but VAR disallowed the goal for offside and the score remained zero.
Argentina responded with authority. Messi opened the scoring in the 17th minute with a shot that left the Algerian goalkeeper no chance, and by halftime, the score was already 1-0.
In the second half, the Argentine coach made some changes: in the 55th minute, Julián Álvarez and Nico González replaced Lautaro Martínez and Thiago Almada. The substitutions injected dynamism into the game, and Messi extended the lead in the 60th minute with his second goal of the night.
The third arrived in '76, when the captain in sky blue completed the hat trick and sealed the rout. Four minutes later, he was substituted by Nico Paz, having already done the job.
The statistics reflect Argentina's dominance: 10 shots on target compared to six against Algeria's seven attempts, none of which were on target.
Possession was slightly in favor of the Algerians (52%-48%), highlighting that Argentina was lethal despite not dominating the ball.
The hat-trick has a historical significance: with 16 goals in World Cups, Messi matched the male record held by German Miroslav Klose since Brazil 2014.
The Argentine arrived at the tournament at the age of 38, having overcome a strain in his left hamstring that raised concerns in May, although he never missed his debut.
With this victory, Argentina leads Group J with three points, tied with Austria—who also won 1-0 against Jordan—though with a better goal difference. Algeria and Jordan remain without points after the first matchday.
The next commitment for the albiceleste in the group is on June 22 against Austria in Dallas, the most challenging opponent remaining before the group stage concludes on June 28 against Jordan, also in Dallas.
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