Messi Marks 20th Anniversary of World Cup Debut with Hat-Trick Masterclass [Video]

2026 World Cup Key News

Central News Agency Report (Kansas City, 16th)

Argentine superstar Lionel Messi opened the scoring for his team within minutes of kickoff in their World Cup opener against Algeria. After scoring, he wiped away tears with his sweat-soaked blue-and-white jersey, showing rare emotional vulnerability contrary to his usual composed demeanor.

He then added two more goals.

According to the Associated Press, Messi will turn 39 next week. Lingering concerns about his hamstring injury and whether he could lead Argentina to become the third team in history to win back-to-back World Cups have now completely vanished.

Hat-Trick Explained

A 'hat-trick' originally referred to a cricket bowler dismissing three batters consecutively, but is now commonly used in football to describe a single player scoring three or more goals in one match.

After the match, Messi said: 'The tears after the first goal? I've been going through a tough personal period lately — it's unrelated to football. That emotion just came out. I'm grateful to my teammates, coaching staff, and delegation for their support.' He declined to elaborate further.

Messi scored an emotional opening goal within minutes of kickoff, receiving a brilliant pass from his Inter Miami teammate Rodrigo De Paul. Early in the second half, he capitalized on a rebound to score his second. Just before being substituted in the 80th minute, he completed his hat-trick with a crisp finish, earning a standing ovation from all 69,045 spectators in the stadium.

This remarkable performance coincided exactly with the 20th anniversary of Messi's World Cup debut (in 2006 against Serbia and Montenegro), making him the second player in history to score in five different World Cups.

This was Messi's 61st career hat-trick, his 11th for the national team, and his first in this World Cup tournament. It also extended his streak to five consecutive World Cup matches with a goal.

Messi's brilliance overshadowed two other stellar performances on the same day: Kylian Mbappe of France and Erling Haaland of Norway.

Mbappe scored two goals in France's 3-1 win over Senegal, tying the fourth-highest goal tally in World Cup history with 14 goals. Haaland scored twice in Norway's 4-1 victory over Iraq.

Haaland posted on Snapchat during Argentina's match: 'Messi is absolutely insane.'

Messi had been battling a minor hamstring injury during his time at Inter Miami, which affected his World Cup preparations. However, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner showed sharp form in a recent 20-minute appearance against Iceland in a friendly, scoring a penalty, indicating his fitness is no longer a concern.

Algeria's head coach Vladimir Petkovic said: 'Skill is eternal. He's had the privilege of having an entire Argentine team play for and support him. For decades, he's been achieving incredible feats.'

This could very well be Messi's final World Cup, making it profoundly meaningful for fans.

Thousands of Argentine fans in Kansas City continuously paid homage toward Messi, especially when he was substituted in the 80th minute. The day before, fans gathered at Mill Creek Park wearing jerseys printed with the word 'Messiah'.

According to Reuters, on a field usually dominated by Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, it was Messi's turn to work his magic.

Mahomes attended the match and shared a video of Messi on social media with the 'GOAT' emoji — shorthand in sports for 'Greatest Of All Time'.

Teammate De Paul said: 'Having Leo (Messi) is an advantage because of how he leads and drives the team, and because of who he is as a person. He doesn't care about personal records — he prioritizes the team. That's incredibly valuable for us.' (Compiled by Li Pei-shan) 1150617