Throughout the last cycle until the World cup in North America, Lionel Messiaged 38, sometimes questioned his participation in the quadrennial national team tournament FIFA (International Federation of Soccer).
This Tuesday (16), the star dispelled any doubts: with a gala performance, he scored three times in Argentina’s first match in the World Cup and equaled German Miroslav Klose as the greatest scorer in the history of the World Cup.
In the debut of the current champions, in the first game of group J, against Algeriaat Arrowhead Stadium, in Kansas City, Inter Miami’s left-handed striker actually scored four times — the first was disallowed — and was largely responsible for starting the journey on the right foot Argentina towards the fourth gold star on his chest.
Protagonist in winning the Albiceleste’s third championship four years ago, in Qatarthe Argentine not only showed that he is once again in shape with his team to compete in another World Cup, but also remains, by far, the main technical leader of the group.
With the hat-trick, he is now, tied with the retired German Miroslav Klose, the greatest scorer in the history of World Cups, with 16 goals, with a good chance of reaching the isolated top of the list during Argentina’s campaign in the competition, in a dispute that promises to be fierce with the Frenchman Kylian Mbappé.
With the goals on an already historic night in the American Midwest city, Messi surpassed Ronaldo Nazariowho has 15 goals in World Cups.
Messi even surpassed Kylian Mbappé, the Frenchman who started the round behind the Argentine in historic artillery and scored two on his team’s debut against Senegal also this Tuesday, reaching 14, the same mark as retired German striker Gerd Müller. For a few hours, he was ahead of the Argentine.
In a first round that featured the brilliance of much younger attackers, such as Mbappé himself, aged 27, and Norwegian Erling Haaland, aged 25, who also scored twice in 4-1 victory over Iraqthe almost forty-year-old Messi showed that he continues with ambition to once again be elected the best in the competition, as he was in 2022, and in the world.
Knowing the pressure of act with a target on your back As the title holder, Argentina started the game attacking the Algerian defense, supported by the sea of fans in blue and white who invaded the stands at Arrowhead, popularly known as the noisiest arena in the world. States United.
In much greater numbers than the Algerians, the “hinchas” (as Argentine fans are known) jumped and sang at the top of their lungs practically throughout the entire match, in a separate show amplified by the oval-shaped steel structure, home of the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs (the American football league, the most popular sport in the United States).
At the referee’s final whistle, the thousands of Argentines who gathered integrated into the landscape of the city in the state of Missouri In the last few days they left the stadium in great celebration, celebrating their number 10, and naturally more confident in a new title.
In a frantic start to the game, after just three minutes, the Argentine team reached the goal for the first time. Luca Zidane, son of former French star Zinédine Zidanein a header from Lautaro Martínez.
Just two minutes later, Messi appeared at the edge of the penalty area on the right and hit it over the goalkeeper to score the first, but the goal was disallowed by Polish judge Szymon Marciniak — the same one who refereed the 2022 final against France.
At 7 minutes, it was Algeria’s turn to scare the Argentine fans. Midfielder Ibrahim Maza made a good move and found midfielder Chaibi, who hit Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez on the right. The referee canceled it again for offside.
Less than ten minutes later, at 16, Messi scored his second goal of the match, the first that counted. The Argentine star received a spectacular pass from Inter Miami teammate Rodrigo de Paul, dominated at the edge of the penalty area and struck with a left wing, into the left corner of the opponent’s goal, with no chance of defense for Luca Zidane.
Back in the second half, Messi returned with the same disposition and made a great move down the right in the eighth minute, passing to Lautaro Martínez, who saved the Algerian goalkeeper well.
At 14, the star scored his third goal of the game, the second valid, taking advantage of a rebound from Mac Allister’s shot. He would find the net once again, in the 30th minute, with a low shot into the right corner of the Algerian goal.
Four minutes later, he was replaced by coach Lionel Scaloni by midfielder Nico Paz, highlighted by the Argentine media as one of his possible successors in the Argentine national team. As expected, he left the pitch applauded by the stands.
In the next round, when Messi could become the greatest single scorer in the World Cup, Argentina faces the Austrian team, back in the tournament after 28 years, in Dallas, on the 22nd.
On the 27th, also in Dallas, Albiceleste ends its participation in the group stage against Jordan, current runner-up in the Asian Cup and one of the four newcomers to the World Cup.
Algeria faces Jordan on the 23rd, in San Francisco, and Austria, on the 27th, again in Kansas City.
