Kansas City, 17 June (H.S.): Star footballer Lionel Messi added another historic milestone to his illustrious career by scoring a sensational hat-trick in Argentina's opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2026, leading the defending champions to a convincing 3-0 victory over Algeria.

The 38-year-old Messi struck all three goals to hand Argentina a commanding win while equalling the record for the most goals scored in FIFA World Cup history. With his latest treble, Messi now has 16 World Cup goals, matching the tally of former Germany striker Miroslav Klose.

Messi also became only the second player in World Cup history to score in five different editions of the tournament. Portugal legend Cristiano Ronaldo was the first player to achieve the feat.

Argentina adopted an attacking approach from the opening whistle, with Messi maintaining his outstanding form and repeatedly troubling Algeria's defence. His three goals thrilled the spectators and underlined his enduring brilliance on football's biggest stage.

The Argentine captain also achieved another landmark by becoming the oldest player to score a hat-trick in FIFA World Cup history, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo's previous record in the process.

The reigning world champions made an emphatic start to their title defence with the comprehensive victory, sending a strong message to the rest of the tournament.

Argentina will now look to maintain the same momentum in their next fixture, while Algeria will aim to bounce back with an improved performance in their upcoming match.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar