"Messi Magic" lights up the World Cup as Argentina cruises past Algeria to begin their title defence in style

Argentina has picked up right where they left off in the World Cup final four years ago. (Image credits – Flickr, licence details)

Lionel Messi reminded the world why he is still the game's greatest player at the age of 38. He scored his first hat-trick of his career in the World Cup, helping Argentina defeat Algeria 3-0 in Kansas City.

La Albiceleste began their title defence in style, in perfect fashion, led by their captain with the same intelligence and efficiency that he demonstrated four years ago when he won the title.

This game was historic for Messi because it marked his 200th appearance for Argentina and made him the first player from his country to appear in six World Cups, and his hat-trick added to the significance of the occasion.

The 38-year-old not only earned three points for his country, but he also tied Germany's Miroslav Klose's all-time World Cup scoring record of 16 goals. 

Argentina dominated possession in the second half, with Lionel Scaloni's midfield, which included Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernandez, and Alexis MacAllister, setting the tempo. Algeria showed flashes of attack as they attempted to catch Argentina on the break, but Scaloni's team was defensively strong and did not allow any Algerian attack to flourish.

The breakthrough came when De Paul found Messi in transition, who made an advancing run before unleashing a powerful shot from distance past Luca Zidane in goal.

Algeria remained competitive even after half-time, but Luca Zidane's error in the 60th minute cost them when he failed to parry Mac Allister's long-range shot to safety, which fell to Messi, who calmly tucked it inside the goal.

Following the second goal, Algeria expanded its attack, while Argentina became more compact and content with defending without the ball. In the 76th minute, substitute Nico Gonzales found Messi near the edge of the box and calmly finished into the bottom corner to complete his first World Cup hat-trick.

The 38-year-old was subbed off to a standing ovation, and it was a magical moment to witness. Argentina were brilliant as a whole, but Messi stole the show, and every moment he was on the pitch felt like we were watching the same Messi we grew up watching.

Algeria appears to have received a harsher scoreline than they deserved after being treated to a Messi masterclass.

Vladimir Petkovic's team will play a crucial game against Jordan next, which is a must-win game for them because losing will eliminate them from the tournament. Meanwhile, Argentina couldn't have asked for a better start to the tournament, scoring three goals, keeping a clean sheet, and seeing their greatest-ever player score a hat trick to begin their title defence.

Given that this is Messi's final World Cup, this performance was a joy to watch, even for rival fans, and everyone hopes to get as much enjoyment out of his final dance as possible.

Lionel Scaloni's men will focus on their next game against Austria, which is expected to be a difficult match, as they also began their campaign with a hard-fought 3-1 victory over debutants Jordan. They'll look to finish first in Group J with a victory over Austria, and with their captain in good form, they'll be favourites.

However, Ralf Rangnick's team has already demonstrated their ability to trouble Argentina on transition with their pacy attack, and it is poised to be the potential group decider, as Algeria or Jordan are unlikely to finish first in Group J.