Lionel Messi recorded his first World Cup hat-trick, gifting Argentina an important victory over Algeria. The 38-year-old footballer scored three goals in his 200th appearance for the national team, bringing his total goals in the tournament to 16.
With this result, Messi matched Miroslav Klose's record as the best scorer in World Cup history. He also made history as the oldest footballer to score a hat-trick in a World Cup.
The three-time world champions fought hard for the win. Messi opened the scoring in the 17th minute, then scored twice more in the second half, securing a convincing victory for his team.
Thus, unlike the unsuccessful starts in 1982 and 1990, Argentina began this World Cup with a win. The defending champions will now face Austria and Jordan in the group stage.
According to experts, Messi, having reached Klose's record, could surpass this achievement in the upcoming matches and become the best scorer in World Cup history.
