Lionel Messi made history once again as holders Argentina launched their World Cup defense with a dazzling 3-0 rout of Algeria at Arrowhead Stadium.
On a magical night in front of 69,045 fans, the 38-year-old maestro celebrated his 200th international appearance by becoming the first man to play in six World Cups.
Messi capably turned the historic milestone into a masterclass, netting his first-ever World Cup hat-trick to propel Argentina to an emphatic opening victory in Group J.
The spectacular treble also catapulted Messi to the pinnacle of football history, making him the tournament’s joint all-time top scorer alongside Germany’s Miroslav Klose with 16 goals.
He opened his account in the 17th minute with a trademark curling strike to match Gerd Müller and Kylian Mbappé on 14 goals.
Messi then tied second place with Brazilian legend, Ronaldo, on 15 goals by poaching a rebound in the 60th minute, before drawing level with Klose in the 76th minute with a precise low finish from the edge of the area.
Meanwhile, tournament rivals France also enjoyed a triumphant start on Tuesday, sparking a potential collision course with Argentina later in the tournament.
Les Bleus secured a 3-1 victory over Senegal, powered by a brace from Kylian Mbappé, who looked razor-sharp and ready for another deep World Cup run.
Mbappé’s double carried significant historical weight of its own, elevating him past Olivier Giroud to become France’s all-time leading goalscorer with 58 goals in 99 appearances.
In Group I, Erling Haaland announced his arrival on the world stage in trademark fashion, scoring twice during Norway’s 4-1 romp over Iraq in Foxborough.
Making his long-awaited World Cup finals debut, the Manchester City striker opened his account from close range in the 29th minute and restored Norway’s lead before halftime following a brief Iraqi equalizer by Aymen Hussein.
The brace extended Haaland’s astonishing international record to 57 goals in just 51 matches, while a header from substitute Leo Østigård and a late own goal from Aymen Hussein sealed a triumphant return for Norway in their first World Cup appearance since 1998.
The action-packed matchday concluded in Santa Clara, California, where Austria overcame a spirited scare from tournament debutants Jordan to secure a 3-1 win in Group J.
Romano Schmid initially put Austria ahead with a blistering long-range effort, but Jordan made history in the 50th minute when Ali Olwan scored the nation’s first-ever World Cup goal to equalize.
Ultimately, Austria’s experience prevailed as a Yazan al-Arab own goal in the 76th minute restored their advantage, and Marko Arnautović converted a stoppage-time penalty to safely lock down the three points.
