Lionel Messi marked his 200th appearance for Argentina in spectacular fashion, scoring a hat-trick as the reigning world champions launched their World Cup title defence with an emphatic victory over Algeria.
The 38-year-old Argentine captain opened the scoring in the 18th minute with a superb finish before being swarmed by jubilant teammates.
Later in the match, television cameras captured Messi wiping tears from his face with his shirt, prompting questions about the emotional moment.
Asked about the incident after the game, Messi clarified that his tears had nothing to do with football.
“Why did I cry? It was something completely unrelated to football,” he explained. “I went through some difficult days, but I’m grateful to the entire delegation and my teammates because they were always by my side, giving me a lot of strength to help me get through it.”
According to The Guardian, Messi’s opening goal was his first of the tournament and increased his tally in World Cup finals to 16 goals, drawing level with Germany’s Miroslav Klose as the competition’s joint all-time leading scorer.
The match also saw Messi set another milestone, becoming the first footballer to feature in six World Cups. The achievement came exactly 20 years after his World Cup debut, when he scored in Argentina’s 6-0 victory over Serbia and Montenegro.
His impressive display helped silence concerns over his fitness after he was withdrawn early from his final MLS match for Inter Miami because of muscle fatigue. Against Algeria, however, Messi looked fully fit, dictating play and finishing chances with his trademark precision.
The victory was historic for Argentina, marking the first time they had won their opening game at a World Cup as defending champions after beginning their title defences in 1982 and 1990 with defeats.
Midfielder Alexis Mac Allister was full of praise for his captain.
“There are no words to describe him,” Mac Allister said. “If anyone thought this team was better without Leo, today it was proven that the opposite is true. He is our most important player. We need to build a team around him, and we are doing it.”
Messi left the field after 80 minutes to a standing ovation, with supporters chanting his name throughout Kansas City Stadium.
Argentina will now shift their focus to a clash against Austria on 22 June as they continue their quest to defend the World Cup crown.
