Argentina faced Algeria in Group J of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Lionel Messi scored goals in the 17th, 60th, and 76th minutes in his continuing dominance on the World Cup stage.
Messi was substituted in the 80th minute following his hat-trick performance. The Argentine forward had nearly extended his goal tally earlier in the match with a strike in the 5th minute, but the effort was ruled out for offside.
Polish referee Szymon Marciniak oversaw the Group J encounter. Argentina entered the tournament as the defending FIFA World Cup champions from their 2022 victory in Qatar.
Messi's three-goal performance extends his legendary World Cup record at age 36, as Argentina seeks to build momentum with a strong group-stage display in its bid for consecutive titles.
→ Match stats and preview on ScanGoal