If there were any doubts about Lionel Messi’s magic at 38, the Argentine icon silenced them in spectacular fashion. Marking his record sixth FIFA World Cup appearance, Messi produced a masterclass, scoring the first World Cup hat-trick of his illustrious career as defending champions Argentina began their title defence with a commanding 3-0 victory over Algeria in Kansas City.

It was a night of milestones, memories and vintage brilliance from the man many consider football’s greatest-ever player.

A Record-Breaking Start

Messi thought he had opened the scoring within eight minutes, only for the effort to be ruled offside. But the Argentine captain was not to be denied.

Minutes later, he weaved past defenders with one of his trademark runs before unleashing a powerful left-footed strike from the edge of the box. Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane, son of French legend Zinedine Zidane, had no answer as Argentina took the lead.

The reigning world champions looked comfortable, but their captain was far from finished.

Vintage Messi Takes Centre Stage

On the hour mark, Messi struck again. Alexis Mac Allister’s powerful effort was parried by the Algerian goalkeeper, and the ever-alert number 10 calmly tapped home the rebound to double Argentina’s advantage.

Then came the moment that brought the crowd to its feet. In the 76th minute, Messi unleashed another stunning low drive from outside the penalty area, completing his hat-trick and etching his name deeper into World Cup history.

The goal took him to 16 World Cup strikes, drawing level with German great Miroslav Klose as the joint-highest scorer in the tournament’s history.

Standing Ovation for a Legend

Just three minutes after completing his hat-trick, Messi was substituted to a thunderous standing ovation. Even the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner appeared reluctant to leave the pitch, but with Argentina chasing back-to-back World Cup titles, a feat achieved by only two nations before, the coaching staff opted to preserve their biggest weapon.

Messi's appearance also marked another landmark—his 200th international match for Argentina, a journey that began in 2005 when he was just 18 years old.

Only Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Kuwait’s Bader Al-Mutawa have made more international appearances.

Unlike the shock defeat to Saudi Arabia that marked the beginning of their Qatar 2022 campaign, Argentina made no mistakes this time.

Algeria had little to offer and even saw an early effort from Fares Chaibi ruled out for offside. Meanwhile, other stars also shone across the tournament. Kylian Mbappé scored twice in France’s 3-1 victory over Senegal, while Erling Haaland netted a brace in Norway’s 4-1 win against Iraq.

Yet, the night belonged to one man. At 38, Lionel Messi continues to redefine greatness. And if this opening performance is any indication, Argentina’s quest to become only the third nation to successfully defend a World Cup title has begun.