*This content was translated by AI.
'The God of Football' Lionel Messi (Inter Miami) scored his first-ever World Cup hat-trick in his 200th international match. Argentina, powered by Messi's one-man show, defeated Algeria.
On the 17th (Korea time), Argentina defeated Algeria 3-0 in the first group stage match of the 2026 FIFA North American World Cup, Group J, held at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, USA.
The top contributor to the victory was undoubtedly Messi. In the 17th minute of the first half, Messi received a pass from Rodrigo De Paul, made a bold breakthrough, and scored with a sharp long-range shot, piercing Algeria's net. In the 15th minute of the second half, he calmly pushed in a rebound saved by the opposing goalkeeper to add another goal. Then, in the 31st minute of the second half, he completed his hat-trick with another precise long-range shot.
With this hat-trick, Messi scored his 14th, 15th, and 16th career World Cup goals in succession, tying the all-time World Cup individual goal record of 16 goals held by Germany's Miroslav Klose. If he scores just one more goal in the remaining matches, Messi will set a new record in this category.
Today's match was a significant stage for Messi in many ways. It was his 200th match wearing the Argentina national team jersey and exactly 20 years since he scored his first goal at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
Moreover, Messi recorded his first-ever World Cup hat-trick and made history by surpassing rival Cristiano Ronaldo to become the oldest player to score a hat-trick in World Cup history.
Messi has demonstrated remarkable consistency in the World Cup. Following his goals in the 2006 (1 goal), 2014 (4 goals), 2018 (1 goal), and 2022 (7 goals) tournaments, he has now scored three goals in the 2026 tournament, becoming the first player to score in five consecutive World Cup editions.
Meanwhile, the competition among the world's top strikers for the World Cup Golden Boot is heating up. In addition to Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland also scored multiple goals.
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*This content was translated by AI.
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