At 38 years old, Lionel Messi is answering the question nobody asked anymore: whether he still belongs on the World Cup stage. The Argentina forward didn’t just show up in Kansas City on Tuesday. He dismantled Algeria with three goals, tying Miroslav Klose’s all-time tournament scoring record of 16 goals and becoming the oldest player ever to score a hat-trick in World Cup history.
The 3-0 Group J victory amounts to something larger than a comfortable win. For a team chasing back-to-back World Cup titles—a feat no men’s team has managed since Brazil in 1962—this was a statement. Messi’s performance erased any lingering doubts about whether age could finally slow the Argentine captain. He marked his 200th cap for Argentina and competed at his sixth World Cup.
The match itself turned on precision rather than fortune. Rodrigo De Paul’s weighted through ball in the 17th minute left Algeria’s defense exposed, and Messi’s strike from 25 yards bent past goalkeeper Luca Zidane—son of Zinedine Zidane, who watched from the stands—to open the scoring. The second goal, arriving in the 60th minute, revealed Algeria’s vulnerability. Alexis Mac Allister’s low drive forced a fumble from Zidane. The ball spilled across his chest and down to his feet. Messi finished the loose ball as if he’d been waiting for exactly that moment.
When Goals Become Calendar Markers
Timing carries weight in sports history. Messi’s hat-trick arrived exactly 20 years to the day after he scored his first World Cup goal. He nearly opened the scoring within five minutes, but that strike was ruled offside—a reminder that precision extends to the officials’ readings as well. His third goal in the 76th minute sealed the performance, set up by substitute Nico Gonzalez.
Algeria didn’t lack effort. Fares Chaibi thought he’d scored early, only to see his goal chalked off for the same offside call. The match contained one moment where rough play went unpunished: Messi stepped on Aissa Mandi’s calf in the first half, and Algeria’s supporters demanded a red card. The referee disagreed. Such moments shape how teams remember losses, whether fairly or not.
What Argentina’s victory means for their campaign remains uncertain. Group J has more matches ahead, and tournaments unwind in strange ways. But for now, they’ve announced themselves as title contenders with their most recognizable player performing at a level that defies his age. Whether Messi can sustain this form through knockout stages—or whether this hat-trick becomes his tournament’s highlight—will answer the real question hanging over Argentina’s defense.
