Algeria Argentina WCup Soccer
Argentina's Lionel Messi (10) reacts after scoring his third goal during the World Cup Group J soccer match between Argentina and Algeria in Kansas City, Mo., Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Lionel Messi registered his first World Cup hat trick and moved into a tie for first on the tournament's career scoring list in a brilliant performance against Algeria on Tuesday night. He led the defending champions to a 3-0 victory in their group-stage opener. Messi scored his first goal in the opening minutes, added a second early in the second half, and completed the hat trick moments before subbing out. The goals came 20 years to the day after his World Cup debut. Meanwhile, Argentina got off to a better start than the last World Cup, where it lost its opener to Saudi Arabia.
Lionel Messi delivered his first World Cup hat trick and matched Miroslav Klose's career scoring record before thousands of Argentina fans packed into Arrowhead Stadium for a match against Algeria on Tuesday night. The defending champions went on to win 3-0. Messi scored his first goal in the opening minutes, the second early in the second half, and the third just before subbing out. The performance came 20 years after his World Cup debut, when Messi also scored. Messi now has 16 goals in six World Cup appearances. The hat trick upstaged stars like Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland, each of whom also scored twice in their matches earlier Tuesday.
The World Cup's Round of 32 is almost set after over two weeks of competition across three countries. While most teams have secured their spots, some are still fighting to advance with six group-stage matches left. The Round of 32 begins Sunday. The expansion to 48 teams has added intrigue and confusion, with tiebreakers coming into play. The top two teams in each of the 12 groups, along with eight third-place finishers, will move on. Saturday's key match is Portugal against Colombia. Colombia has secured a spot, while Portugal needs a win to take the group.
