Lionel Messi scored a hat trick on Tuesday night, leading Argentina to a 3-0 win over Algeria in their opening match of the current World Cup tournament. The game took place at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, where thousands of Argentina supporters witnessed a memorable performance from the national team captain.

Messi opened the scoring early in the match, finishing off a precise assist from Inter Miami teammate Rodrigo De Paul. He added a second goal early in the second half by capitalizing on a rebound and sealed the victory with a well-placed shot shortly before being substituted out to applause from the crowd. This marked Messi’s first World Cup hat trick and helped Argentina begin their title defense with a commanding victory over Les Fennecs, the Algerian national team.

The significance of the achievement was heightened by the timing: it occurred exactly 20 years after Messi’s World Cup debut against Serbia and Montenegro, in which he also scored. With this goal-scoring feat, Messi became only the second player in history to score at five different World Cup tournaments. His three goals in this match brought his total to 16 World Cup goals across six tournament appearances, moving him closer to surpassing the all-time World Cup scoring record held by Miroslav Klose.

Messi’s total of 61 career hat tricks includes 11 scored while representing Argentina. Reflecting on his milestone, Messi expressed gratitude for both his career journey and his current team. “It makes me very happy to have lived through everything that came my way. What I’m living through now is the cherry on top,” he said, emphasizing his appreciation for the collective strength of the Argentine squad.

As Argentina advances in the tournament, Messi’s performance has drawn attention not only for its historical significance but also for its impact on the team’s prospects in defending their World Cup title.