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Argentina Player Ratings vs. Algeria: Magical Messi Opens World Cup With Record Night

Lionel Messi is now the joint greatest goalscorer in World Cup history.
Roberto Casillas|
Lionel Messi started the World Cup in style.
Lionel Messi started the World Cup in style. | Charlotte Wilson/Getty Images

Lionel Messi produced the latest historic performance of his legendary career, scoring a hat-trick that saw Argentina defeat Algeria 3–0 to begin its World Cup title-defense in dream fashion.

The three strikes saw Messi join Miroslav Klose as the all-time leading goalscorers in World Cup annals with 16. On a day where Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland stole the show, Messi took it a step further and delivered the best individual performance of the 2026 World Cup so far.

Both teams had goals disallowed for offsides early on but then Messi got Argentina’s party started with a rocket in the 17th minute. Algeria didn’t go away quietly, though, constantly probing around Argentina’s penalty area, yet unable to find a way past Lionel Scaloni’s stout backline.

The game completely changed when Luca Zidane made a mess out of an Alexis Mac Allister shot, leaving the rebound in perfect position for Messi to tap-in his second at the hour mark. History awaited 10 minutes later, as Messi curled a shot into the bottom corner to score his first-career World Cup hat-trick, a strike the sufficed for him to tie Klose’s iconic record.

It was a simply remarkable night from a remarkable player, one that also firmly saw Argentina send a clear message that its more than capable of defending the crown it conquered in Qatar 2022.

The Moment That Defined The Match

Messi’s historic performance came exactly 20 years after he bagged his first-career World Cup goal. A long-haired, 18-year-old Messi came on as a substitute and scored the final goal in Argentina’s dominant 6–0 victory over Serbia in the group stage of 2006 Germany.

On Tuesday night, Messi’s first goal was one the soccer world has seen with incredible regularity over the past two decades. Messi found space between Algeria’s lines to receive a wonderfully-weighted pass from Inter Miami partner-in-crime Rodrigo De Paul. A glorious first-touch on the half-turn allowed Messi to take off towards goal. Defenders started retreating as if Messi was running towards them with a knife, allowing the all-time great to get within range and unleash a powerful hit that overpowered Luca Zidane to give Argentina the lead 17 minutes in. The goal saw Messi join Cristiano Ronaldo as the only player in history to score in five different editions of the tournament.

Messi was there to pounce and capitalize on a poor Luca Zidane clearance to secure his brace near the hour-mark. His second saw him go level with Brazil’s Ronaldo and one clear of Kylian Mbappé with 15 career World Cup goals. But the best was yet to come.

The greatest player of all time wasn’t done, his trademark goal still missing. Messi received the ball on the edge of the area, set himself and curled a shot into the bottom corner to complete his first career World Cup hat-trick to tie Klose’s all-time record.

In the first game of what will certainly be his final career World Cup, Arrowhead Stadium witnessed a historic performance from the living legend.

Argentina Player Ratings vs. Algeria (4-4-2)

*Ratings Provided by FotMob*

GK: Emiliano Martínez—7.0: His quality between the posts wasn’t needed as Algeria was toothless in attack. A comfortable night for the goalkeeper.

RB: Gonzalo Montiel—6.8: Lucky that the offside flag went up because his marking for what would’ve been Algeria’s opener was dreadful. After a nightmare start where fouling was his only solution to contain Rayan Aït-Nouri, the River Plate man eventually settled.

CB: Cristian Romero—7.2: Not as influential as his center back partner, but Romero handled his defensive duties well and his distribution from the back was excellent.

CB: Lisandro Martínez—7.7: A dominant performance from the Manchester United man. The tenacious defender was there to intervene whenever his services were needed, making key interventions that halted some of Algeria’s most dangerous advances.

LB: Facundo Medina—7.2: Tirelessly covered ground supplying width down the left, even if he just recycled possession whenever the ball found him inside Algeria’s halfway line. Did well defensively.

RM: Rodrigo De Paul—8.2: The loud critics coming from those suggesting De Paul should be dropped from the side after subpar performances in MLS for Inter Miami emphatically went silent as he threaded a jaw-dropping pass between the lines to assist Messi’s opener. Excellent throughout.

CM: Alexis Mac Allister—7.2: Tidy in possession and covered every blade of grass trying to cover for other teammates when Algeria tried to attack in transitions.

CM: Enzo Fernández—7.5: Argentina fans got their wish. Freed from the positional shackles that have defined his Chelsea career, Fernández operated deeper on the base of midfield and served as Argentina’s quarterback, touching the ball seemingly every two passes and controlling the tempo. The game was played at the rhythm he dictated.

LM: Thiago Almada—7.0: Had a very positive start, and although his influence waned as the minutes ticked-on, it was still a solid showing from the Atlético Madrid man.

ST: Lionel Messi—9.7: Messi celebrated his 200th appearance for Argentina with a legendary World Cup performance.

ST: Lautaro Martínez—6.5: A non-factor for much of the night, seldom involved in proceedings. He had one chance to make his mark, but Zidane made a nice save to deny him and he was hooked shortly after.

SUB: Nahuel Molina (46’ for Montiel)—6.9: Erratic in possession but he was flawless defensively, an improvement to what Montiel offered in the first half.

SUB: Nicolás González (55’ for Almada)—7.2: Showcased why, despite critics, Scaloni included him in his 26-man roster. On a team full of midfielders that like the ball to come at their feet, González is a different profile that likes to exploit space. Assisted Messi’s record goal.

SUB: Julián Alvarez (55’ for L. Martínez)—6.0: Didn’t get the chance to make an impact as Argentina took its foot of the gas soon after his introduction.

SUB: Nicolás Otamendi (80’ for Romero)—6.5: The veteran made three defensive contributions in his 10-minute cameo.

SUB: Nico Paz (80’ for Messi)—6.2: Wasn’t able to make his presence felt during his brief cameo when the game was essentially over.

Subs not used: Gerónimo Rulli (GK), Juan Musso (GK), Marcos Senesi, Nicolás Tagliafico, Exequiel Palacios, Giovani Lo Celso, Giuliano Simeone, Leandro Paredes, Valentín Barco, José López.

What the Ratings Tell Us

Lionel Messi, Rodrigo De Paul
Messi’s “bodyguard” was his perfect sidekick against Algeria. | Juan Mabromata/AFP/Getty Images
  • Rodrigo De Paul reminded the world why he’s been an essential part of the most successful era in Argentina’s history. The Miami midfielder was everywhere on the pitch, manipulated defenders with exceptional passes and played with his usual grit. He takes his game to another level wearing La Albiceleste’s shirt, and he’ll continue to be a regular under Scaloni.
  • Speaking of Argentina midfielders, Enzo Fernández was outstanding against Algeria, resembling the version that saw him win the Best Young Player of the Tournament award in Qatar 2022. He enjoys himself at the international stage, playing more as an organizer and with the ball constantly at his feet.
  • Lautaro Martínez's wait for his first difference-making World Cup performance will continue. Scaloni’s decision to start him was slightly surprising, and it wouldn’t be shocking if Julián Alvarez gets the nod against Austria next time out.

The Numbers That Explain Argentina’s Dominant Debut

  • Argentina’s defense was simply impenetrable, denying Algeria from crafting a single shot on goal all game, good for an xG of 0.31.
  • Both Argentina and Messi outperformed their xG on the night. The hat-trick hero accounted for 1.03 of La Albiceleste’s total xG of 1.23.
  • On June 16, 2006, Messi became Argentina’s youngest-ever World Cup goalscorer. On June 16, 2026, he became La Albiceleste’s oldest-ever World Cup goalscorer and the oldest player to score a hat-trick at the World Cup.

Statistic

Argentina

Algeria

Posession

48%

52%

xG

1.23

0.31

Total Shots

10

7

Shots on Target

6

0

Big Chances

2

0

Pass Accuracy

90%

92%

Fouls

13

8

Corners

2

2

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Published | Modified
Roberto Casillas
ROBERTO CASILLAS

Roberto Casillas is a Sports Illustrated FC freelance writer covering Liga MX, the Mexican National Team & Latin American players in Europe. He is a die hard Cruz Azul and Chelsea fan.

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