2026 World Cup: Messi's hat-trick powers Argentina to 3-0 victory over Algeria!

16.06.26 FT World Cup

Argentina

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Algeria

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Algeria fell short in their opening match of the 2026 World Cup. After a promising first half despite trailing by a goal, the Fennecs collapsed after the break and were punished by an imperious Lionel Messi, whose hat-trick secured a resounding win for Argentina.

The miracle didn't materialize in the highly anticipated Argentina vs. Algeria clash. Despite a cautious but encouraging first half from the Algerians—marked by flashes of brilliance and solid defensive organization—the Fennecs eventually cracked just before halftime. The inevitable Lionel Messi found the net following a handling error by Algerian goalkeeper Luca Zidane, son of the legendary Zinedine Zidane.

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After the break, Vladimir Petkovic's men saw more of the ball and tried to build their attacks. However, their possession remained largely sterile, failing to pose any real threat to the Argentine goal. Worse still, the Greens were swiftly punished with a second goal from Lionel Messi, who capitalized on another blunder from Luca Zidane, as the keeper spilled an Alexis Mac Allister shot right into the Argentine's path. Minutes later, the Albiceleste captain completed his hat-trick with his trademark move: a curling shot low inside the post.

Algeria suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of a Messi in sublime form, but were also undone by numerous individual errors and a lack of collective organization. Pending the result of the Jordan vs. Austria match, the Fennecs sit at the bottom of the group for now, with a goal difference of -3.

The Greens now have six days to regroup before a crucial showdown against Jordan, scheduled for June 23.

Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI |

Editor

Football web writer creating digital sports content with a focus on news, analysis and stories that reflect passion, accuracy and objectivity.

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