Hat-trick hero Messi equals all-time World Cup mark as Argentina beat Algeria 3-0; Mbappe and Haaland shine in opening matches.
Image: RTE
Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick as Argentina defeated Algeria 3-0 in their opening Group J match.
The 38-year-old became the first player to appear in six World Cups. He also equaled Miroslav Klose’s all-time World Cup scoring record with 16 goals.
Messi opened the scoring with a curling strike in the 17th minute. He added a second after the break and completed his first World Cup hat-trick in the 76th minute.
The victory gave the defending champions a perfect start to their title defense.
Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappe scored twice as France beat Senegal 3-1. His goals took him to 58 international goals, making him France’s all-time leading scorer.
Norway also started strongly with a 4-1 win over Iraq. Erling Haaland scored twice on his World Cup debut and increased his international tally to 57 goals in 51 matches.
Argentina, France and Norway all opened their campaigns with impressive victories, led by three of football’s biggest stars.
