The reigning champions Argentina began their title defense on Tuesday with a dominant 3–0 victory over Algeria. The opening win was sealed by a brilliant hat-trick from Lionel Messi during the first matchday of Group J in the 2026 World Cup.
In a historic match where he became the first soccer player to ever participate in six World Cups, Messi scored in the 17th, 60th, and 76th minutes. His performance cemented his status as the joint top scorer in the tournament’s history alongside Germany’s Miroslav Klose, with both legends holding 16 goals.
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Argentina temporarily takes sole possession of the top spot in the group standings, accumulating three points early in the tournament phase. Their comfortable lead comes just ahead of the other group match scheduled between Austria and Jordan in Santa Clara.
