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Argentina 3-0 Algeria | Group J | June 16, 2026 | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City
A Nervy Start for the Champions
Argentina’s World Cup title defense began nervously before Lionel Messi reminded everyone he is Lionel Messi. It was a nervy opening 15 minutes for Argentina. Argentina’s largely well-executed counterattack was wiped away in the fifth minute after a poorly timed pass from Lautaro Martinez left him offside.
Algeria nearly made Argentina pay soon after. Fares Chaibi ran onto a pass from Ibrahim Maza before finishing past a stunned Emiliano Martinez, but the goal did not stand.
Algeria’s Goal Gets Ruled Out
Algeria had a goal disallowed for offside, with Fares Chaibi coming off the left wing and slipping it past Emiliano Martinez near the post. The Algerian fans went wild for about a minute, until VAR ruled it out.
GOAL 1 – Messi, 17′: The Opener
The first goal was trademark Messi. He took possession in the 17th minute, turned, got the ball on his left foot, and smashed the opener past Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane. It was a long-range screamer.
GOAL 2 – Messi, 60′: A Quick-Footed Tap-In
Alexis Mac Allister tried to beat Zidane from distance at the hour mark, only to see his shot saved. But Messi was the first player to the rebound and used his right foot to tap in his second goal of the night. Emiliano Martinez’s long pass in the 59th minute ultimately led to Messi scoring his brace seconds later.
A Penalty Appeal Goes Unanswered
Minutes after Messi’s second goal, a penalty appeal for Argentina went unanswered. The decision did little to slow Argentina down.
GOAL 3 – Messi, 76′: The Hat-Trick Goal
Messi found his third goal from the run of play in the 76th minute. The 38-year-old surged forward from the center circle and played a pass to Mac Allister on his left. As Messi continued his run toward the box, Mac Allister returned the ball to him, and Messi tucked it inside the near post. It was an accurate curled effort into the bottom corner.
A Standing Ovation as Messi Departs
Messi Rewrites the Record Books
Messi scored in the 17th, 60th, and 76th minutes, recording his first-ever hat-trick at the World Cup, on his 200th appearance for Argentina, as he became the first man to appear in six World Cups. The goals took him to 16 World Cup goals, level with Miroslav Klose for the record, and also brought up his 24th goal contribution at the World Cup, passing Pele’s mark of 21 for the record.
Messi moved level with Miroslav Klose atop the World Cup scoring chart, earned his 17th career World Cup win, and now needs just one more goal to stand alone as the tournament’s all-time leading scorer and also needs one assist to break Diego Maradona’s World Cup assist record.
A Game Far From One-Sided in Possession
Algeria won the possession battle but lost the contest, as Argentina out-attempted them 10 shots to 7. Despite Algeria largely matching Argentina in possession, their attack could not get going. They had seven shots, but none on target.
What’s Next for Both Teams
It was a great start to group play for Argentina, who will now prepare for group matches against Austria and Jordan, both in North Texas. Algeria will look to bounce back and find its first points of the tournament in its remaining group games
