World Cup 2026: Messi equals Miroslav Klose's goals record with hat-trick in Argentina's 3-0 win over Algeria

Argentina began the defence of their FIFA World Cup title in emphatic fashion on Wednesday morning, defeating Algeria 3-0 in their Group J opener at Arrowhead Stadium thanks to a masterclass from captain Lionel Messi.

The Argentine superstar produced a stunning hat-trick to guide his side to victory and write another chapter in World Cup history.

Messi's three goals saw him draw level with Miroslav Klose on 16 World Cup goals, matching the all-time scoring record in the tournament's history.

16 - Lionel Messi logra su hat-trick ante Argelia e iguala a Miroslav Klose como el jugador con más goles en Copas del Mundo.

Inigualable. pic.twitter.com/bJ9PhDwlsG

— OptaJavier (@OptaJavier) June 17, 2026

On the matchday, Argentina thought they had made the perfect start after just five minutes when Messi found the back of the net. However, celebrations were cut short as the assistant referee raised his flag for offside.

Algeria then believed they had stunned the defending champions moments later. Fares Chaibi finished neatly into the bottom left corner after being played through by Ibrahim Maza in the eighth minute. Yet the Desert Foxes were left frustrated when a VAR review confirmed the goal would not count due to an offside.

Those early scares appeared to sharpen Argentina's focus, and Lionel Scaloni's side eventually found the breakthrough in the 17th minute. A slick exchange between Messi and Rodrigo De Paul opened up space on the edge of the penalty area, and the veteran forward made no mistake, firing a precise effort into the top right corner to hand Argentina a deserved lead.

Despite Algeria's efforts to remain in the contest, Argentina controlled large periods of the match and eventually doubled their advantage on the hour mark. Messi reacted quickest to a rebound inside the penalty area and drilled a low finish into the centre of the net, putting the South Americans firmly in command.

The historic moment came in the 76th minute when Nicolas Gonzalez set up Messi on the edge of the area. The Argentine captain shifted past his marker before curling a magnificent strike into the bottom left corner.

The strike completed a memorable hat-trick and sealed a convincing victory for the reigning world champions.

3 goals, 3 points, 1 Messi. #FIFAWorldCup

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 17, 2026

The result gives Argentina the perfect start to their World Cup campaign as they now prepare for a meeting with Austria in their second Group J fixture.

Algeria, meanwhile, will be looking to bounce back quickly when they face Jordan in what has already become a crucial match for their hopes of progressing to the knockout stage.