📂 Categoría: Football,World Cup | 📅 Fecha: 1781675675
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Death, taxes and Lionel Messi shining on the big stage.
Messi marked his 200th appearance for Argentina with a sensational hat-trick as the defending world champions prevailed 3-0 over Algeria in their World Cup opener.
It marked the first time Messi has bagged a hat-trick in a World Cup match.
But, more importantly, the pint-sized superstar’s three goals took his tally at World Cups to 16, equalling German icon Miroslav Klose‘s all-time record.
The 38-year-old kicked off his memorable night at Arrowhead Stadium in the 17th minute with a powerful strike from distance, although it was a moment Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane, the son of French legend Zinedine, may want to forget.
Rodrigo De Paul broke the lines with a vertical pass straight to Messi, who found himself in acres of space between Algeria’s midfield and defence.
It seemed as if Algeria’s defenders were completely mesmerised by the Inter Miami superstar as they refused to close him down.
Unfortunately for the African outfit, their reluctance proved costly as Messi let rip from just outside the box with a left-footed strike.
Zidane got a hand to Messi’s shot but not enough to divert it away, sparking delirium from the Argentina supporters in Kansas City.
Speaking on commentary for talkSPORT, former Chelsea defender Scott Minto waxed lyrical about Messi’s ‘football intelligence’ that has served him so well throughout his career.
Minto: Messi is a ‘gift from God’
“Honestly, 38 years young,” Minto said.
“Okay, he hasn’t quite got the legs of picking up the ball in his own half and going past the whole of the opposition. But he’s so clever.
“He wasn’t always just about the goals. It’s about this football intelligence. Finding a pocket of space 20, 25, 30 yards out, turning, running with it. He’s on the edge of the box.
“Just on the edge of the D, 20 yards out. He’s whipped it across his body. I mean, the keeper should be saving it, but Lionel Messi. Welcome to the World Cup.”
Minto added Messi is ‘a gift from God’, with the pint-sized attacker alongside fellow Argentinian great Diego Maradona as ‘the two best players this planet has ever seen.’
Messi was spotted fighting back tears after the celebrations.
And after the match he explained it was nothing to do with anything on the field, thanking his compatriots for their support.
He said: “My tears after the first goal? I’ve had some tough days, it wasn’t related to football, and those feelings were because of that. I thank my teammates, the technical staff, and the delegation for helping me”
Messi bagged his second of the evening on the hour mark after Zidane spilled Alexis Mac Allister’s long-range strike.
The Liverpool star unleashed an effort that went straight to the Algerian glovesman.
However, Zidane failed to hold on to the ball as his rebound fell right in the path of Messi, who was quickest to react.
Messi completed his hat-trick in the 76th minute when, for the second time of the evening, he scored from outside the box.
But unlike his first effort, there was nothing Zidane could do to stop the Argentinian ace’s rocket.
Messi drove towards the Algerian goal before slipping the ball to Nico Gonzalez on his left.
Most goals scored by a player at the World Cup
Miroslav Klose (Germany) – 16
Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 16
Ronaldo (Brazil) – 15
Kylian Mbappe (France) – 14
Gerd Muller (West Germany) – 14
Just Fontaine (France) – 13
Pele (Brazil) – 12
Sandor Kocsis (Hungary) – 11
Jurgen Klinsmann (Germany) – 11
Gonzalez then duly returned the ball back to Messi on the edge of the area, who subsequently let fly with a left-footed strike that beat a diving Zidane.
Messi’s evening in Kansas City came to an end in the 80th minute, with Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni bringing on Nico Paz.
Several voices across the football landscape readily heaped praise on Messi, including Norway‘s Erling Haaland who, just hours before, netted twice in his side’s 4-1 win over Iraq.
Posting a selfie on Snapchat, Haaland wrote: “Messi is a madman.”
German legend Thomas Muller echoed a similar sentiment as he shared a picture of himself with Messi on Instagram along with the goat emoji, often used in conjunction with describing someone or something as the greatest of all time.
The 38-year-old’s next chance to surpass Klose’s World Cup goal record comes on June 22 when Argentina takes on Austria in Arlington, Texas.
World Cup WhatsApp
Don’t miss an update from talkSPORT in our dedicated World Cup WhatsApp channel.
Search for ‘talkSPORT World Cup’ in your ‘Updates’ tab on WhatsApp and we’ll drop the proper, unfiltered football chat straight to your lock screen—no fluff, just pure talkSPORT energy.
It’s where you’ll find out all the new rules to watch out for, England and Scotland reaction and big match player ratings.
Plus there will be loads of debates on the biggest talking points as Haaland, Mbappe, Kane and the biggest names in football descend on America, Canada and Mexico.
Death, taxes and Lionel Messi shining on the big stage.
Messi marked his 200th appearance for Argentina with a sensational hat-trick as the defending world champions prevailed 3-0 over Algeria in their World Cup opener.
It marked the first time Messi has bagged a hat-trick in a World Cup match.
But, more importantly, the pint-sized superstar’s three goals took his tally at World Cups to 16, equalling German icon Miroslav Klose‘s all-time record.
The 38-year-old kicked off his memorable night at Arrowhead Stadium in the 17th minute with a powerful strike from distance, although it was a moment Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane, the son of French legend Zinedine, may want to forget.
Rodrigo De Paul broke the lines with a vertical pass straight to Messi, who found himself in acres of space between Algeria’s midfield and defence.
It seemed as if Algeria’s defenders were completely mesmerised by the Inter Miami superstar as they refused to close him down.
Unfortunately for the African outfit, their reluctance proved costly as Messi let rip from just outside the box with a left-footed strike.
Zidane got a hand to Messi’s shot but not enough to divert it away, sparking delirium from the Argentina supporters in Kansas City.
Speaking on commentary for talkSPORT, former Chelsea defender Scott Minto waxed lyrical about Messi’s ‘football intelligence’ that has served him so well throughout his career.
Minto: Messi is a ‘gift from God’
“Honestly, 38 years young,” Minto said.
“Okay, he hasn’t quite got the legs of picking up the ball in his own half and going past the whole of the opposition. But he’s so clever.
“He wasn’t always just about the goals. It’s about this football intelligence. Finding a pocket of space 20, 25, 30 yards out, turning, running with it. He’s on the edge of the box.
“Just on the edge of the D, 20 yards out. He’s whipped it across his body. I mean, the keeper should be saving it, but Lionel Messi. Welcome to the World Cup.”
Minto added Messi is ‘a gift from God’, with the pint-sized attacker alongside fellow Argentinian great Diego Maradona as ‘the two best players this planet has ever seen.’
Messi was spotted fighting back tears after the celebrations.
And after the match he explained it was nothing to do with anything on the field, thanking his compatriots for their support.
He said: “My tears after the first goal? I’ve had some tough days, it wasn’t related to football, and those feelings were because of that. I thank my teammates, the technical staff, and the delegation for helping me”
Messi bagged his second of the evening on the hour mark after Zidane spilled Alexis Mac Allister’s long-range strike.
The Liverpool star unleashed an effort that went straight to the Algerian glovesman.
However, Zidane failed to hold on to the ball as his rebound fell right in the path of Messi, who was quickest to react.
Messi completed his hat-trick in the 76th minute when, for the second time of the evening, he scored from outside the box.
But unlike his first effort, there was nothing Zidane could do to stop the Argentinian ace’s rocket.
Messi drove towards the Algerian goal before slipping the ball to Nico Gonzalez on his left.
Most goals scored by a player at the World Cup
Miroslav Klose (Germany) – 16
Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 16
Ronaldo (Brazil) – 15
Kylian Mbappe (France) – 14
Gerd Muller (West Germany) – 14
Just Fontaine (France) – 13
Pele (Brazil) – 12
Sandor Kocsis (Hungary) – 11
Jurgen Klinsmann (Germany) – 11
Gonzalez then duly returned the ball back to Messi on the edge of the area, who subsequently let fly with a left-footed strike that beat a diving Zidane.
Messi’s evening in Kansas City came to an end in the 80th minute, with Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni bringing on Nico Paz.
Several voices across the football landscape readily heaped praise on Messi, including Norway‘s Erling Haaland who, just hours before, netted twice in his side’s 4-1 win over Iraq.
Posting a selfie on Snapchat, Haaland wrote: “Messi is a madman.”
German legend Thomas Muller echoed a similar sentiment as he shared a picture of himself with Messi on Instagram along with the goat emoji, often used in conjunction with describing someone or something as the greatest of all time.
The 38-year-old’s next chance to surpass Klose’s World Cup goal record comes on June 22 when Argentina takes on Austria in Arlington, Texas.
World Cup WhatsApp
Don’t miss an update from talkSPORT in our dedicated World Cup WhatsApp channel.
Search for ‘talkSPORT World Cup’ in your ‘Updates’ tab on WhatsApp and we’ll drop the proper, unfiltered football chat straight to your lock screen—no fluff, just pure talkSPORT energy.
It’s where you’ll find out all the new rules to watch out for, England and Scotland reaction and big match player ratings.
Plus there will be loads of debates on the biggest talking points as Haaland, Mbappe, Kane and the biggest names in football descend on America, Canada and Mexico.
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- Este artículo cubre aspectos importantes sobre Football,World Cup
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📚 Información de la Fuente
| 📰 Publicación: | talksport.com |
| ✍️ Autor: | Alex Conrad |
| 📅 Fecha Original: | 2026-06-17 03:13:00 |
| 🔗 Enlace: | Ver artículo original |
Nota de transparencia: Este artículo ha sido traducido y adaptado del inglés al español para facilitar su comprensión. El contenido se mantiene fiel a la fuente original, disponible en el enlace proporcionado arriba.
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