The Argentine captain equaled German legend Miroslav Klose’s record as the highest scorer in FIFA World Cup history, taking his tournament tally to 16 goals. The milestone came during Messi’s 200th appearance for Argentina, making the occasion even more memorable.

Defending champions Argentina were forced to work hard for the win as they continue their quest to become one of the few teams to successfully retain the World Cup title. It was also the first time Argentina had won their opening match as reigning world champions.

Playing at Kansas City Stadium in the United States, Messi put Argentina ahead in the 17th minute. The 38-year-old collected the ball from Inter Miami teammate Rodrigo De Paul, dribbled past goalkeeper Luca Zidane — son of French football icon Zinedine Zidane — and calmly found the back of the net.

The match was not without controversy. During the first half, Messi was involved in a heavy collision with Algeria’s Aïssa Mandi, an incident that sparked debate after the Argentine star avoided disciplinary action.

Messi struck again in the 60th minute, capitalizing on a mistake by Zidane, before completing the first World Cup hat-trick of his career in the 76th minute with a powerful finish after receiving a pass from Nicolás González.

The performance also saw Messi break another record, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo to become the oldest player ever to score a World Cup hat-trick. Argentina now sit comfortably in Group J and will next face Austria and Jordan.

Four years after leading Argentina to World Cup glory, questions had been raised over Messi’s decision to continue his international career. However, his latest display served as a reminder that he remains determined to guide his country toward a fourth World Cup title.

Having now matched Klose’s all-time World Cup scoring record, Messi could become the tournament’s outright leading scorer in Argentina’s next match.

The historic performance sparked widespread reaction on social media. While many fans hailed Messi as the greatest footballer of all time, others focused on the collision with Mandi, arguing that the Argentine should have received a red card. Some supporters defended Messi, claiming the Algerian defender exaggerated the incident.

Pakistani politician Asad Umar wrote on X: “Watching Lionel Messi play in his sixth World Cup is still incredible. I think the debate over who is the greatest footballer of all time is now over.”

Indian journalist Rajdeep Sardesai offered a more cautious view, suggesting that the discussion would only be settled if Argentina went on to win the tournament.

Former U.S. international Carli Lloyd praised Messi’s freedom on the pitch, noting that winning the World Cup previously had removed the pressure and made him even more dangerous in this tournament. “Messi is simply in a class of his own,” she remarked.

Football analyst Gad Saad criticized those who continue to dismiss Messi’s achievements, while former England captain Alan Shearer reacted to the record-equalling performance with a series of applauding emojis.

As Argentina’s World Cup journey continues, all eyes will once again be on Messi — a player who, even at 38, continues to rewrite football history.