Lionel Messi scored three goals against Algeria in Argentina's opening World Cup match, bringing his career World Cup goal total to 16, level with German striker Miroslav Klose for the most goals ever scored in World Cup history.
Argentina earned a winning start to the tournament with the victory over Algeria. The performance caps a remarkable World Cup career for Messi, who continues to add to his legacy on football's grandest stage.
Lautaro Martinez, Messi's Inter Milan teammate, featured in the match and shared pictures on social media embracing the playmaker. Martinez captioned his post: "Victory in the first game, step by step with lots of enthusiasm. Vamos Argentina."
Messi's exceptional hat-trick performance may influence betting markets on Argentina's remaining group-stage matches, as the team's commanding opening suggests strong tournament prospects and could shift goalscoring prop odds in subsequent fixtures.
→ Match stats and preview on ScanGoal