Messi has his first World Cup hat trick as Argentina routs Algeria

KANSAS CITY, Missouri — Lionel Messi registered his first World Cup hat trick while moving right into a tie for first on the tournament’s profession scoring list Tuesday night, sending defending champion Argentina to a dominant 3-0 victory over Algeria in its group-stage opener.

Messi scored his first goal within the opening minutes off a nifty feed from Inter Miami teammate Rodrigo De Paul, the second early within the second half, and the third moments before subbing out to a standing ovation from a heavily pro-Argentina crowd.

The goals got here 20 years to the day that Messi made his World Cup debut for Argentina in a match against Serbia and Montenegro — he scored in that one, too — and gave him 16 for his profession, putting him in a tie with Germany’s Miroslav Klose for the profession record.

READ: ‘Whole planet’ awaits Messi’s two hundredth cap as Argentina opens World Cup bid

In addition they helped Argentina get off to a greater start than the last World Cup. 4 years ago in Qatar, La Albiceleste were beaten by Saudi Arabia of their opening match, only to rally from there to win their third world title.

Messi, who turns 39 next week, nearly had two other goals against Algeria, never once looking just like the mild hamstring injury that fearful fans within the run-up to the tournament was an issue. One found the back of the web but was called back because he was ever-so-slightly offside, and one other strike within the second half just cleared the crossbar.

He was a pest on defense, too, helping Algeria lock down the overmatched Les Fennecs.

Their best likelihood got here within the opening minutes, when Fares Chaibi’s would-be goal was taken away by a VAR review that showed he also was offside. Messi scored moments later, and the remainder of the night belonged to him and Argentina.

READ: Argentina, Messi to open World Cup vs Algeria

The sport played at Arrowhead Stadium fulfilled the longtime dream of the late Lamar Hunt, who not only founded the NFL franchise that calls it home, but who was instrumental in the expansion of soccer within the U.S. from the Sixties through the early 2000s.

Hunt played a giant role within the U.S. hosting the 1994 World Cup. His sons, Clark and Dan, are doing likewise with this edition.

Amongst those in the group on a picture-perfect night within the Heartland were Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who traded in his usual red-and-yellow football uniform for a blue sweatsuit and white shirt, and his wife, Brittany.

Argentina will proceed its pursuit of back-to-back World Cup titles in Arlington, Texas, when it plays Austria on Monday and Jordan on June 27. Algeria plays Jordan on Monday in Santa Clara, California, before facing Austria in its Group J finale on June 27 back in Kansas City.